Aberdeen Town Council to Add Vendor to Contractors Co-op List

The 4 Sep 2012 agenda for the Aberdeen Town Council includes Resolution 2012-88, which resolves to add a vendor to the 2012 Monmouth County Co-op List. The name of this vendor is "attached" to the hard copy of the resolution but not provided online.

Aberdeen Township Resolution 2012-22 permits the Township to make certain no-bid purchases from approved NJ and Monmouth County contract vendors.

UPDATE 4 Sep 2012: Councilman Greg Cannon was kind enough to write and provide the name of the vendor as McGrath Municipal Equipment. The Township hopes to purchase a portable asphalt hot box recycler from McGrath for the Department of Public Works. He explained that adding the company to the Monmouth County Co-op List will save the Township on attorney's fees and advertising costs. He assured me that all public procurement laws are being followed and the township's purchasing agent, Jackie Struble, is getting the best possible price for the taxpayers. The omission of the name of the vendor was an oversight.

History: Electric Appliances - The Only Way to Modern Living (1953)

The 5 Mar 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 3) included this large advertisement (5 columns wide) in which Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) encouraged the exclusive use of electrical appliances for doing laundry in the home.

The ad reads:

Only Electricity brings you 
Completely Automatic Laundering

• Clothes are washed Electrically,
• In water are heated Electrically,
• They're dried Electrically,
• and ironed Electrically.

Go All-Electric . . . the only way to modern living

The Reddy Kilowatt seal at the bottom of the ad represented a JCP&L program designed to help customers locate reliable dealers selling and installing electrical appliances in New Jersey.

JCP&L Authorized REDDY KILOWATT DEALER
Buy at this Sign of honest value and reliable services.

History: Raritan Bay Pollution Symposium, Keyport (1953)

The 5 Mar 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal covered a Raritan Bay pollution symposium held at Keyport Borough Hall on 27 Feb 1953. The front page article was titled Mayor Scholer Protests Sewer Plan: Union Beach Officials Charge State Board, Legislature Knew Pollution Cause.

Government officials from Keansburg, Keyport, Union Beach, Matawan Borough, Matawan Township, Perth Amboy and South Amboy, as well as local industry representatives, gathered at a symposium in Keyport convened by Keyport Mayor Herbert R Rothenberg to discuss the growing problem of the pollution of Raritan Bay. Of particular concern to those gathered was the pitiful state of the the bay's shellfish industry, which was being put out of business by pollution caused by the dumping of industrial wastes and sewage effluent into the Hudson, Passaic, and Raritan rivers and the Raritan Bay itself.

Experts and state authorities came to the meeting to advocate for a new sewer treatment system that would heavily treat local sewage with chlorine then pump the processed sewage into the bay a full two miles off Laurence Harbor. In several years the system promised to remove water pollution from the waters around the Amboys and begin to bring back the shellfish industry.

The symposium was startled when Union Beach representatives in attendance refused to accept the assurances of NJ state health officials and legislators that the outflow from the proposed Raritan Valley Trunk Sewer would not contaminate the bay. Instead of going along with the proposal, the Union Beach officials accused the state of long turning a blind eye to influential polluters and leaving a real mess.

The NJ Public Health Service noted that fecal coliform bacteria levels in the Amboy channel were stable between 1915 and 1941 tests at 80 per 100 mm, but ten years later the level was 20 times higher. Exacerbating the problem was the faulty plant run by the Passaic Valley Sewer Commission. He thought those levels would improve with the construction of new treatment plants at Hunt's Point, Owl's Head, and Rockaway in New York City and a new plant at Linden-Elizabeth in New Jersey.

A Rutgers University expert said voluminous samples were taken of the waters of the Raritan Bay in 1950 and, except for the high values in the Amboy channel, the bay seemed to be in good condition. In an apparent reference to the nascent pharmaceutical industry along the Raritan River, the Rutgers expert asserted that the manufacture of certain drugs had been the primary cause of the sharp increase at the Amboy Channel.

The Rutgers expert admitted that the proposed plant would not meet state requirements for dissolved oxygen content but thought that the bay could deal with it naturally. ". . . the discharge would not be 'crystal clear water fit to drink' but felt the bay's capacity of self-purification would dispense all offensive matter a few hundred yards from the nozzles and the intense chlorination at the South Amboy chlorination plant." He also noted that 2/3rds of bay pollution came from industrial sources, not sewage.

It was here Mayor Scholer intervened to protest there wasn't a "decent disposal plant in the State of New Jersey" and he did not see why people living in towns along the bay had to be subjected to the gamble that the trunk sewer treatment plant would properly handle all the sewerage and wastes of the Raritan Valley due for dumping in bay water. He wanted to know why the Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority was not called the "sewerage dumping authority."

A Matter of Perspective, or Zoom

A local company, in an apparent attempt to attract quality staff to its location, has gone a bit too far in boasting about Matawan. Above is their photograph of how close Matawan is to Manhattan.  Really? They have enhanced the perspective to bring the city closer. In fact, we're over twenty miles from the Big Apple as the crow flies, and more like an hour by car or an hour and a half by train -- each way. And you won't be popping over to the city to unwind during your breaks or out to our fine beach to dive into the surf and walk a boardwalk after work. Local beaches are for boating and fishing but not for swimming.

Matawan is a great place to live and work. I just wouldn't want people thinking it's as close to Manhattan as Hoboken, or as hopping as a Jersey Shore beach town in summer.

History: First Presbyterian to Dedicate New Education Wing (Matawan, 1967)

The 20 Mar 1967 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the new 26-room education wing of First Presbyterian Church of Matawan would be dedicated that Sunday, 2 Apr 1967. Rev Ansley VanDyke, pastor at Toms River Presbyterian Church and current moderator of the Synod of New Jersey, would be on hand to deliver the sermon that Sunday. And Rev. Albert Woodward, pastor at Red Bank Presbyterian Church, would represent the Presbytery of Monmouth as its current moderator.

The new education building would house two full Sunday school sessions (9:15 am and 11 am) through 8th grade. Various programs for adults, teens, and junior high students would be held during the week. A new Christian Nursery and Kindergarten School, day care center, and programs for seniors and young adults were also expected to be launched.

The education wing and chapel are now 45 years old. The Presbyterian Nursery School is a local icon, having taught thousands of local children over the years. Children, youth, and adult Christian education programs continue to flow through the halls of this space. And Vacation Bible School has routinely run for a week in the summer.

The article didn't mention that these spaces would also serve the community through building use, a separate mission of the church. Several young Protestant communities have met in the chapel over the years; the current chapel users are a Pentecostal group. Plus, an assortment of civic groups have always used the classrooms, such as twelve-step groups, scouts, play rehearsals, community choir tryouts, etc.

History: The Matawan Journal Calls for Temperance Society, 1876

The 14 Oct 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 1) reported that John Hill, a saloon keeper in Keyport, fled the area, seemingly in anticipation of his second Grand Jury indictment for keeping a "disorderly house." This prompted Mr Hill to flee, or, to quote the newspaper, to take "leg bail."

"Whether he had heard of the indictment, or was assured that it would be made, we have not learned; but it is evident that his guilt was so well established in his own mind that he knew his next fate would be State Prison. To avoid this he has run away."

Getting on his temperance soap box, the newspaper editor complained that Hill was only one of many bar keeps in Monmouth and Middlesex counties who "are violators of the very license law that grants them the privilege to pour rum down the throats of their neighbors and impoverish their families." The  bars were even selling liquor within earshot of the area churches' pulpits during worship service hours, he complained, a clear violation of the license, which sets rules to keep these businesses shuttered on Sundays. "Six week-days we would judge to be enough for the privilege of carrying on such a work of human destruction and family desolation as this. . ."

The editor, pointing out that there was no temperance society in Matawan, asked rhetorically, "Is not the evil practiced here? Have we become so highly moral as to need no institution to keep up this virtue save the churches?" The editor credited the churches for doing great work, but called for additional measures for those who had lost their way. "[T]here are many who seem to need another step before they enter the sanctuary, and that step is the temple of temperance."

The editor worried that local society was ignoring the problem as their boys faced the life of a drunkard and their girls the grim possibility of "becoming the wives of men whom intemperance may curse." In the meantime, the editor noted, municipal officials were continuing to issue licenses despite the peril around them. In an obvious reference to The Devil, the editor thought that local officials were turning a blind eye, instead "doing nothing to stay the fowler from spreading his net."

History: Odd Fellows Purchase/Rebuild Hall After Major Matawan Fire (1901)

The Matawan lodge of the Loyal Order of Odd Fellows (LOOF) bought the property where the former Washington Hall once stood at 192 Main Street in downtown Matawan, purchasing it in 1901 from the Simpson estate, according to the 12 Jun 1901 edition of the Red Bank Register (RBR). Washington Hall had burned down recently, leaving only the outer walls, which would be used in the construction of the planned two-story replacement.

A major fire had destroyed many buildings in the Matawan business district that January, according to Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field, pp 90-91. A caption under the photo of LOOF Hall as of 1905 (pg 91) says that Washington Hall had survived the 1901 fire, but that's not precisely the case based on the RBR article.

History: First Annual Monmouth County Firemen's Parade, Matawan (1875)

The 27 Nov 1875 edition of The Matawan Journal described the events of the Monmouth County Firemen's grand parade, which was held in Matawan on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday 25 Nov 1875. The honor of hosting what was the first such annual parade was granted by the United Associations of Monmouth to Matawan's Washington Company, the oldest fire company in the county.

Recent rains had made the streets muddy, but the day was clear and bright.

The following fire companies appeared in the parade in order of seniority:

•  Washington Company (the Washingtons), of Matawan, was represented by 45 men in red shirts and black pants. Their equipment was a single-deck hand engine.
• Good Will Company (the Good Wills), of Freehold, was represented by only 25 men and a ladder truck stripped bare of its ladders, buckets, and other appurtenances. The company was indignant that the Freehold commissioners had limited the fire company's participation, especially that they had refused to allow them to bring their handsome steamer and stripped bare the ladder truck. The "noble few" arrived first, in carriages.
• Navesink Hook and Ladder Company (the Navesinks), of Red Bank, was represented by 61 men in blue shirts and black pants. The men arrived on the 1:27 pm train and were met by their hook and ladder truck, complete with ladders, etc, which had been drawn to the event by two teams of fine horses.
• Oceanic Company (the Oceanics), of Long Branch Village, consisted of 53 men in red shirts and black pants. They arrived by special train along with the Atlantic Company and were met at the station by the Washingtons. They brought their Babcock engine.
• Atlantic Company (the Atlantics), of East Long Branch, consisted of 53 men in blue shirts and black pants. They arrived by special train along with the Oceanic Company and were met at the station by the Washingtons. Their one-cylindered steamer was the most handsome machine in the parade. They also brought their ladder truck, complete with appurtenances.

Also appearing were the following bands:

• Jefferson Cornet Band, of Newark, a 14 piece band, accompanied the Matawan fire company.
• Major Allstrom's Cornet Band, of Red Bank, accompanied the Navesink fire company.
• Freehold Band, of Freehold, a 16 piece band plus drum corps, accompanied the Freehold and Long Branch fire companies.

The parade began at the Matawan railroad station, proceeded as far as the residence of John Suydam, then counter-marched down Main Street as far as the residence of Mr L Cady. The parade counter-marched to Church Street, then down Church to Broad Street, then Broad to Little Street, and up Little to the Engine House.

The firemen constructed a great archway over the intersection of Main and Little Streets to honor the county's firemen, who were greeted all along the way by citizens displaying mottoes of welcome, hanging wreaths, waving handkerchiefs, and draping flags from their windows. An estimated 5,000 persons attended the parade. Men, women and children thronged the streets and hung out of windows along the parade route.

The companies parked their fire vehicles at the Engine House and proceeded on foot to Washington Hall for a collation prepared by the ladies of Matawan. The newspaper took Lieutenant Hendrickson for a sneak preview of the collation. He reportedly compared the collation favorably to a reception prepared for the military at the dedication of the "soldiers' monument at Beverly."

When the festivities were over, the Freehold men departed in their carriages and the others departed by train. Foreman Sickels, of Washington Company, and his crew were given high praises by the newspaper for their untiring efforts to make the parade a success. Chief Marshall Sidney Walling, and his assistants Henry Stillwell, D P VanDeventer, and Charles A Geran were complimented on how they aptly preserved the order of the day on horseback, especially how they kept their steeds in check despite the din of the parade.

Other fire company news:

The 19 Feb 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Washington Company would muster in full dress on 22 Feb 1876 at 7 o'clock. Also announced was the Centennial Firemen's Ball of Monmouth County, which would be held at John J Wheeler's hotel in Eatontown on 22 Feb 1876.

The 11 Mar 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal reviewed the assets of the local fire company and asked its readers to ask themselves if the fire company didn't deserve more support.
   1 - The firemen are well organized, willing and alert.
   2 - The engine house, if a bit costly and not large enough to stow all the necessary gear, is well built and paid for.
   3 - The company has an engine that works, albeit with great effort.
   4 - The company has a suction hose, but it's only barely long enough to reach the water in a typical well.
   5 - The company's ejection hose has such serious leaks that bystanders are guaranteed a good wetting. About 100 feet of the hose is good enough for hose practice but not for a significant fire.
   6 - The alarm bell in the engine house was cracked during the Centennial celebrations and is now useless. It's glory has departed, the writer notes.
   7 - The promised cisterns have yet to arrive.

The 29 Apr 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the utter destruction by fire of the home of a colored man named David Schanck. The house had been located near the "camp meeting woods." The newspaper thought the property had been insured.

A letter to the editor in the 13 May 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal urged Matawan residents to turn their attention to the poor condition of its fire fighting vehicle, hoses, and equipment. "The engine is classed by experts as third class, useless in a case of a large fire; the hose now on hand is unfit for use; and there is not enough even of this to reach a fire at a short distance." The writer, listed simply as C D H, encouraged the replacement of the old equipment and purchase of new. He ended with a hope that this will wake some of the Rip Van Winkles of Matawan to a sense of their duty. . ." 

The 17 Jun 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Washington Fire Company was arranging to acquire a new bell to replace the one in their alarm tower. That bell cracked while ringing in the Centennial year on New Year's eve. The company would parade at 1 pm on the 4th of July.

The 14 Oct 1876 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the upcoming Monmouth County Firemen's annual parade, which would be held in Long Branch on 19 Oct 1876. The article made mention of "the Washingtons," the local Matawan fire company, which would be represented at the parade. The writer noted that the previous annual parade was held in Matawan in Nov 1875.

Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District Forms Packet 2012-13

The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District (MARSD) has issued its 2012-2013 school year forms packet for parents to sign by 7 Sep 2012. The "complete packet" is 24 pages long and paperless.

Parents are told the rules about:

• pp 1-3: Student use of computers and the possible consequences for abuse
• pg 4: Student attendance
• pg 5: Asbestos hazards
• pg 6: Pesticide hazards
• pg 7: Bias incidents
• pp 8-16, 22: Harassment, intimidation and bullying
• pp 17-19 - Cyber bullying
• pg 20 - Parent Portal - communications with the school
• pg 21 - Rules regarding late arrival and early dismissal
• pg 23 - Authorization for family physician
• pg 24 - Consent to use your child's image on school website and/or Huskievision

A few points of concern:

1) The Internet Safety/Protection section (pg 2) makes a simple if fundamental error in its application of the Miller vs US three-prong test of obscenity. The US Supreme Court ruling calls for all three prongs to be met, not just one or two of them. The current "either/or" rendering of the school rule erroneously leaves each prong to stand alone as a violation of obscenity. The individual elements cannot stand alone but must be applied and met together to add up to obscenity. And for good reason. Notice that the third element -- images are deemed obscene that lack literary, artistic, scientific, or political value to minors -- certainly doesn't on its own necessarily add up to obscenity.

The rules ask parents to give the school permission to act reasonably in the area of computer use, which sounds okay until you realize that individual teachers and school district officials are left to apply their own values when they enforce what is "generally acceptable in the community."

One day we'll all look back at this aspect of these guidelines and gasp.

2) Notice that bullying gets the lion's share of attention here. Lots of detail. But at the same time they want you to sign 1) that you're aware of a vague plan to deal with asbestos in MARSD buildings and 2) that their use of pesticides won't be discussed this year but isn't any big shakes.

3) Parents have to grant the school permission to post their child's image on the school's website and on Huskievision. The form doesn't allow a parent to say no. Instead, a parent would have to sign the form granting permission, then take the second step of writing a letter to the school rescinding that permission. The simple answer is to have a form that offers yes or no checkoff boxes to grant permission or not. Most parents, if they read these 24 pages, will throw up their hands and grant this permission.

History: Murder at the Farry Hotel (1870)

The front page of the 3 Sep 1870 edition of The Matawan Journal reported on a homicide that took place in the stables at Farry's Hotel in Matawan on the afternoon of 17 Aug 1870. A protracted argument turned violent when two ostlers (stable hands) came to blows over monies earned watering people's horses. Henry Rohd was angry at a co-worker named John, saying that the monies rightfully belonged to him. The argument, which had gone on for several days, eventually prompted a scuffle in the stables. John gouged Henry's face with a pitchfork, drawing blood, which led Henry to leave the stable and return with a heavy club with which to strike John. Henry ignored pleas of witnesses and hit John in the head. Locals thought John would recover, but he died overnight. An autopsy revealed he had several ounces of blood on the brain at the site of the contusion. Henry was turned over to the sheriff for prosecution.

The 1870 Federal Census shows Henry Rote, age 50, born in Bavaria, living in the household of John Farry, hotel keeper, and family.

Passenger lists show Henry Rohd, age 22, born in Germany, tailor by profession, departed Bremen, Germany aboard the Brig Louise and arrived at the Port of Philadelphia on 25 Oct 1842.

Matawan Resident Observes Fish Kill in the Toms River

Atlantic menhaden (Wikimedia)

The Asbury Park Press posted an article last night discussing a fish kill in the Toms River involving Atlantic menhaden. The article featured personal testimony from Don Baker, an 80-year old resident of Matawan, who keeps his sailboat at Lighthouse Point Marina in South Toms River.  The NJ DEP noted that large schools of menhaden are known to enter lagoons, deplete the available oxygen and die in large numbers.

Index to Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field

Below is an index to Helen Henderson's book Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field (2003, paperback) I expect this indexing project to be a long-term initiative with periodic updates as I get inspired. Readers will be able to find this resource conveniently linked on this blog's Research Tools page.

Project to date:

Chapter 5: Era of Industry and Resort, (Completed pp 82 - top 103)

INDEX

Activities

• Sports and recreation
• Baseball (103)
• Cliffwood Angels (103)
• Cliffwood Royals (103)
• Women's baseball (103 image)
• Basketball (102) 
• Bocce ball (102)
• Bowling (101)
• Handball (101) 
• Miniature golf (101)
• Shuffleboard (102)
• Skeeball (101)
• Swimming (92, 93, 93 image caption, 94 image caption, 101, 101 image caption)
• Tennis (101, 102)

Animals and Fish

• Bottlenose dolphin (94)
• Pilot whale (95)
• Shark (92 - 94)

Attire

• Skirts, women (90)

 Businesses (by type)

• Bakery (90)
• Basket manufacturers (83)
• Beach access, bathhouses, lockers (Cliffwood Beach) (101, 101 image caption)
• Boardwalk and attractions (101, 101 image)
• Box manufacturers (84)
• Brick manufacturers (82, 83 image, 93, 94)
• Buffing machine and supplies manufacturers (85) 
• Casino (101 image caption)
• Chemical manufacturers (84 image, 85)
• Country club (Cliffwood Beach) (101)
• Crate manufacturers (83, 84)
• Electroplating machine and supplies manufacturers (85)
• Energy companies (82)
• Factories, general (96)
• Fruit business (83, 84, 92)
• Harness maker (90)
• Hospitality industry (hotels, inns, etc) (85)
• Insurance
• Life insurance (94)
• Law offices (91) (see also Lawyer under People (roles))
• Manure for fuel (see Energy)
• Match manufacturers (82)
• Munitions
• Shell-loading depot (97)
• Newspaper business (92)
• Piano manufacturers (84, 85)
• Piano plate manufacturers (84)
• Real estate agencies, developers (100)
• Swimming pools
• Cliffwood Beach, salt water pool (101)
• Telegraph service (88, 90)
• Telephone service (83, 86, 88, 89)
• Telephone pole manufacturers (83)
• Tile manufacturers (85)

Companies (by name)

• Aberdeen Inn (89)
• Frank Anderson Basket Factory (83, 99)
• Antisell Piano Company (84 photo caption)
• Atlantic Tile Manufacturing Company (85, 86, 86 image)
• Bell Telephone Company (88)
• Burlew basket factory (84)
• Burlew and MacElvaine basket factory (84)
• Bernard Campbell and Company (82) 
• Cartan and Company (88)
• Casino (101 image caption)
• Cat 'n Fiddle (101, 101 image caption)
• Cliffwood Brick Company (82)
• Colonial Match, factory in Matawan (82)
• Craigen Brick Company, Cliffwood (104)
• Diamond Match Company, New York (82)
• Farry's Brick Yard (83 image) 
• John H Farry's hotel (92 image caption)
• Geran basket factory (83-4)
• T A Gillispie and Company (97)
• Hanson-Van Winkle-Munning (84 photo caption, 85)
• Kennedy's hotel (85)
• Lenox Brick Company (82)
• Levitt Manufacturing Company (99)
• London and Lancashire Indemnity (94)
• Mahoney's grocery (91) 
• Matawan Bank (91)
• Matawan Improvement Company (84 photo caption, 85)
• Matawan Steel and Iron Company, aka Matawan Iron and Steel Company (84, 99)
• Matawan Tile Company (85)
• Monmouth Woodworking Company (83)
• Morrisey and Walker Inc, Real Estate Agency (100)
• Mosaic Tile Company(86)
• Munning Loeb Company (84 photo caption, 85)
• Oschwald Brick Company (82)
• Old Homestead Hotel (photo 93)
• Progressive Art Tile Company (85)
• Ryan's Garage (104)
• Shock's tobacco store (91)
• Frank A. Slater's Drug Store (89, 91)
• Standard Shade Company (84 image, 85)
• Synthetic Chemical Company (85)
• Tile Products Company (85)
• Wason piano factory (85)
• Wickham Company of New Jersey (84)

Demographics (Crime, Health, Mortality, Nationalities, Races)

• African Americans
• Arson (91)
• Death rate (92)
• Drowning (93 image caption)
• Germans (94 image)
• Immigration (94 image caption)
• Influenza epidemic (98)
• Mischief, youth, et al (96)
• Pneumonia (98)
• Polio (92)
• Population, statistics, trends (82)
• Quarantine for contagious disease (92)
• Scarlet fever (92)
• Urbanization (82)
• Women, notable (85, 89 - 90)

Environment

• Pollution
• Noise pollution (95)

Events

• Beauty pageants (102 image caption)
• Brickyard accidents (83 photo caption)
• Cornerstone ceremonies (87)
• Development
• Cliffwood (100)
• Cliffwood Beach (86, 100)
• Strathmore
• Disputes
• Methodist church bell briefly converted to town clock, tolling hourly, prompting complaints, litigation, silencing of bell, 1917 (95)
• Explosions
• Munitions depot at Morgan (97 - 98, 99)
• Fires (99)
• Matawan business district fire of 1901 (90 - 91, photo caption 91, 98)
• Second Baptist Church fire of 1908 (87)
• Piano factory fire of 1916 (85)
• Foundry fire of 1919 (84 - 85)
• Hindenburg disaster of 1937 (99)
• Great Depression (86 photo caption)
• Holidays
• Armistice Day (97, 97 image caption)
• Memorial Day (97 image caption)
• Mortgage burning ceremonies (87)
• Parades
• Baby parades (102 image, 102 image caption)
• Matawan founding anniversary parades (102 image, 102 image caption)
• Runaway horse or mule team (83 photo caption)
• Shark attack at Matawan Creek, 1916 (92 - 95, image caption 93)
• Sporting events (see Activities for recreational sports)
• Swimming, competitive (101)
• Strawberry festival (90) 
• War
• War, financial support for
• Liberty Loan drive (96)
• United War drive (96)
• Victory Loan drive (96)
• War, sending off the troops and receiving them back (96)
• Wars
• Civil War, US (96)
• Korean War (97)
• Persian Gulf War (97)
• Spanish-American War (90)
• Vietnam War (97)
• World War I (96, 99)
• World War II (85, 97, 97 image caption)

Institutions

• American Legion and Auxiliary (96 - 97, 97 image)
• Donated "The Spirit of the American Doughboy" statue to Matawan Borough; installed at Memorial Park (96, 97, 97 image) 
• Donated elm trees to Matawan Borough; planted at Memorial Park (97)
• American Mechanics (89)
• Arlington Club (89)
• Baptists
• Baptists worship at Middletown Point (67)
• Berean Baptist Church (see Second Baptist Church)
• First Baptist Church, Keyport (67)
• First Baptist Church, Matawan (67 - 68, 86)
• Mount Moriah Baptist Church (102)
• Old First Baptist Church, Middletown (67)
• Providence Baptist Church, Cliffwood Beach (102)
• Second Baptist Church, Matawan (86)
• Brownies (see Girl Scouts) 
• Catholics, Roman
• St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (90, 96)
• Hibernians donated stained glass window to St Joseph's in memorial to John James Furey, KIA WWI (96)
• Cliffwood Angels (baseball) (103)
• Cliffwood Civic Association (100) 
• Cliffwood Royals Social and Athletic Club (103)
• Domino Club (89)
• Episcopalians
• Trinity Episcopal Church (71 - 72)
• Fire Companies
• Aberdeen Township Hose and Chemical Company, formerly Oak Shades Fire Co #1 (99)
• Cliffwood Volunteer Fire Company No 1 (103, 104)
• Eagle Hose Company, Keyport (104)
• Freneau Independent Fire Company (99)
• Hook and Ladder Company #1 (92 image caption) 
• Michael E Haley Hose Company, aka M E Haley Company (98 - 99, 98 image)
• Oak Shades Fire Company #1, later became Aberdeen Twp Hose and Chem Co (99)
• Washington Engine #1 (92 image caption)
• Governmental Organizations
• Board of Fire Commissioners (104, image)
• Girl Scouts (90)
• Hibernians, Royal Order of (96)
• Donated stained glass window to St Joseph's in memorial to John James Furey, KIA WWI (96)
• Hospitals
• Monmouth Memorial Hospital (93)
• St Peter's Hospital (94)
• Masons (89)
• Matawan and Freneau Euchre Club (89)
• Methodists (Methodist Episcopal (- 1939), Methodist Church (1939 - 1968), United Methodist Church (1968 - ) (AME Zion)
• Cliffwood Community Methodist Church (70 - 71)
• Matawan United Methodist Church at Aberdeen (95 image, 134 - 135, 140, 155)
• Chancel rail, several paintings, and Brown memorial bell relocated from Main Street to the new building on Atlantic Avenue (95 image caption)
• Matawan Methodist Episcopal Church (68 - 70, 71, 91, 94, 95, 95 image caption, 134 - 135)
• Memorial stained glass window honoring Stanley Fisher (94, 95 image caption)
• Memorial bell honoring Catherine J (Bennem) Brown (95, 95 image caption)
• Memorial stained glass window honoring US Army and Navy soldiers serving in WWI (96) 
• St James AME Zion Church (73)
• St Mark's AME Zion Church (102)
• Union AME Zion Church (102)
• National Guard
• First Squad Cavalry National Guard (96)
• National Guard, Red Bank (98)
• Odd Fellows, Loyal Order of (LOOF) (89)
• Pastime Social Club (89)
• Patriotic Order Sons of America (89)
• Patrons of Husbandry (89)
• Presbyterians
• First Presbyterian Church of Matawan (66 - 67, 67 image, 89, 96) 
• Presbyterians worship at Middletown Point (66)
• Presbyterians worship at Mount Pleasant (66 - 67)
• Red Men (89)
• Reformed Church (96)
• Royal Arcanum (89)
• Schools
• Cliffwood Elementary School (100)
• Matawan-Aberdeen School District (100)
• Matawan High School (100)
• Rutgers University (101)
• Scientific Four Domino Club (89)
• United Auto Mechanics, Junior Order of (97)
• Donated flag pole and flag to Matawan Borough; erected in Memorial Park (97)
• Unknown institutions
• Donated two weeping willow trees to Matawan Borough; planted in Memorial Park in connection with George Washington's 200th birthday celebration (97)
•  Donated a firemen memorial to Matawan Borough; erected in Memorial Park in honor of local fire fighters. (97)
• Donated to Matawan Borough a black granite memorial wall with names of all borough residents who served in the military from WWII to the Persian Gulf War; erected in Memorial Park. (97)
• Women's Club of Matawan (89 - 90, 97)
• Donated a sundial to Matawan Borough; erected in Memorial Park in memory of Elizabeth S (Clark) Clegg, who served overseas during WWI. (97)

Music, Musical Instruments, and Related

• Church bells (95, 95 image caption, 96)
• Church choirs (94)
• Keyport Silver Band (96)
• Town clock (95)

People (names)

• Barker, Charles E (86, 86 image)
• Barker, Edward (86) 
• Bedle, William G (89) 
• Bennem, Catherine J (95)
• Bogardus, O O (96)
• Bolte, Harry (84)
• Brown, Catherine J (Bennem) (95)
• Brown, Edward I (95)
• Bryan, William J (90) 
• Bublin, George (96) 
• Burgess, Rev B B (102)
• Burlew, Herbert (84)
• Burlew, Red (93)
• Carney, James (96)
• Cartan, Rensselaer (88) 
• Clark, Elizabeth S (97)
• Clarke, Henry L (100)
• Clegg, Elizabeth S (Clark) (97) 
• Close, Charles E (98)
• Conover, Judson (82)
• Cottrell, Thomas, Captain (94)
• Craigen, George (104)
• Deckert, John G. (105 image)
• Dexter, Charles S (96)
• Donnell, Genevieve (89, 90) 
• Dunn, Joseph (93, 94)
• Dunn, Michael (93, 94)
• Eggleston, Sidney B. (84)
• Eskesen, Bennet (85)
• Farry, John H. (92 image caption)
• Fernicola, Richard Dr. (92)
• Fisher, Stanley Watson (93 - 94)
• Furey, John James (96)
• Geran, Henry (83-4)
• Gittens, Herbert (86, 86 image)
• Gorsline, Ralph (94)
• Haley, John (98)
• Haley, Michael E (98)
• Hourihan, Jerry (93)
• Hourihan, John (96)
• Kahn, Hannah (85)
• Kahn, Harry (85)
• Kearney, Thomas E (99)
• Keller, George F (92)
• Kennedy, William A (98) 
• Kojac, George (101)
• Lloyd, F Howard (89)
• MacElvaine, Elwood (84)
• Mathiasen, Karl (85)
• Morrisey, Charles W (100)
• Mulsoff, John (92, 99)
• Neidlinger, Charles A (92)
• Raffa, Frank (104)
• Raffa, Mary (104)
• Regan (104)
• Slater, Frank A., Rev. (86, 91)
• Reynolds, George C Dr. (93)
• Reynolds, T B, Rev (96)
• Ryan, Thomas (104)
• Smith, Rev and Mrs (102)
• Stern, Beatrice (90)
• Stevenson, Adlai E, III (90)
• Stillwell, Lester (92 - 94)
• Stoll, -- Mr (90)
• Stryker, Charles R (99)
• Taylor, Mrs F T (90)
• Terhune, John (95)
• Thress, Robert (94)
• Van Brackle, Elwood (89, 98)
• Van Wickle, Mrs Daniel E (89) 
• Vansant, Charles E (92)
• Viquesney, E M (97 image caption)
• Walker, Edwaren, Hon. (95)
• Walker, Samuel W (100)
• Walling, Harry (89)
• Walling, Tucker (92)
• Washington, George (97)
• Weissmuller, Johnny (101)
• Whitlock, John (88, image)
• Wortham, Rev Edward (102)
• Wyckoff, -- (94) 
• Zimmerman, Heinie (103, image)

People (roles)

• Actor/Actress (101)
• Assessor, Matawan Township (92)
• Barber (92)
• Brickyard Superintendent (94)
• Captain (local boat) (94)
• Chancellor, State of NJ (95)
• Chief of Police (92) 
• Dry Cleaner (93) 
• Fire Chief (99)
• Fire Fighters (85, 95)
• Gypsy (90) 
• Health Inspector (92)
• Hello girl (see Switchboard operator)
• Insurance Agent (94)
• Lawyer (89, 90)
• Mayor
• Mayor (Keyport) (96)
• Minister (89)
• National Guardsmen (98)
• Nurse (90)
• Olympian (101)
• Physician (89, 93)
• Policemen (92) (see also Chief of Police)
• President of the US (90)
• Romanian gypsies (see Gypsy) 
• Sculptor (97 image caption)
• Soldiers, US
• Killed in Action (KIA) (96)
• Stationmaster, Cliffwood railroad station (105 image)
• Switchboard operator (89)
• Teacher (90)
• Truant officer (88 image)
• Vice President of the US (90)

Places (NJ)

• Aberdeen Township (formerly Matawan Township)
• Cliffwood (82, 93, 94 image, 100, 101, 102, 103) 
• Cliffwood Beach (86, 94 image caption, 95, 100, 101, 101 image, 102 image caption)
• Strathmore (86)
• Asbury Park (90)
• Atlantic City (95)
• Bay Head (88)
• Bayshore (Raritan Bay) (88)
• Creeks
• Matawan Creek (92, 93, 94, 95)
• Beach Haven (92)
• Freehold (87)
• Groves
• Shady groves of Cliffwood (94 image)
• Keyport (85, 87, 87 image caption, 88, 89, 96, 98, 99)
• Lakehurst (99)
• Lakes
• Lake Lefferts
• Lake Matawan
• Lakes (Matawan area) (93 image caption)
• Long Branch (93, 100)
• Matawan
• Freneau (84, 87, 87 image caption, 88, 89)
• Oak Shades (90)
• Monmouth County (83, 85)
• Monuments, Statues, and Memorials (see associated Institutions)
• Morgan (97 - 98)
• New Brunswick (94)
• New Jersey (82, 87, 92)
• Newark (90)
• Ocean Grove (90)
• Old Bridge
• Cliffwood Beach (Old Bridge) (100)
• Laurence Harbor (100)
• Parks
• Green Acres (101)
• Memorial Park, Matawan (96, 97, 97 image)
• Recreational park at Cliffwood Beach (101)
• Red Bank (98)
• Spring Lake (92)
• Waterfront additions
• Wyckoff dock (Matawan) (94)
• Brickyard docks (Matawan) (93)
• Jetties and bulkheads (Cliffwood Beach) (101)

Places (Outside NJ)

• Arizona, US (90)
• Boston, MA (87)
• Brooklyn, NY (82)
• Europe (96)
• Florida, US (82) 
• Germany (96)
• Nebraska, US (90)
• New Mexico, US (90)
• New York, US (92)
• New York City, NY (82, 88, 93, 100)
• Oklahoma, US (90)
• Rocky Mountains, US (82)
• Spain, Europe (90)
• Springfield, OH (84)
• Titusville, PA (82) 
• Zanesville, OH (86)

Places (Buildings) (see also Companies and Institutions)

• The Chase building (89)
• Borough Hall (Matawan Borough) (92 image caption, 96)
• Crossing at Aberdeen, The (86)
• Fire houses
• Cliffwood Volunteer Fire Co No 1 (104)
• Michael E Haley Company (98 - 99)
• Midway Hose Company (99)
• Oak Shades Fire Company #1 (99 - 100)
• Thomas Kearney's workshop, Keyport (99)
• Knickerbocker Lodge (90)
• Loyal Order of Odd Fellows (LOOF) Hall (91 image)
  
• Masonic lodge (90, image caption 91)
• Odd Fellows Hall (see Loyal Order of Odd Fellows (LOOF) Hall)
• Opera house, brick (91)
  
• Park Hall, Asbury Park (90)
• Pirate ship (100 - 101)
• Public buildings (98)
• School buildings (98)
• 7-Eleven, Cliffwood Beach (Old Bridge) (100 - 101)
• Skating rink, abandoned (87)
  
• Telegraph station (88)
• Township Hall (Matawan Township) (91, 92 image)
• The Walling building (89)
• Washington Hall (90)
  

Politics

• Democratic Party (90)
• Presidential elections, US (90)
• Prohibition Party (90)
• Republican Party (90)
• Silver Republicans (90)

Products, Things

• Apples (83, 84)
• Berries (83, 84)
• Conover Oyster Shell Lime (83)
• Electrification (87) (see also Energy under Businesses, by type)
• Harikan Art Products (85) 
• Original Lakewood Tomato Crate (83)
• Peaches (83, 92)
• Raspberries (84)
• Strawberries (84)
• Telephone service (see Businesses, by type)
• Tomatoes (83, 84)

Publications (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc)

• Behr Collection (Aberdeen Township Historical Commission) (94 image caption)
• Industrial Directory of New Jersey (Trenton, 1915: Bureau of Industrial Statistics, NJ Department of Labor) (82, 89)
• The Matawan Journal  (84, 96, 99, 100)
• Matawan Memories (90)
• Notes on the Early History of Matawan, NJ, by Rensselaer Cartan (88)
• Twelve Days of Terror, by Dr Richard Fernicola (92)

Streets (Matawan or Aberdeen, unless indicated)(see also Transportation>Roads)

• 25th Street, Brooklyn, New York City (82)
• 34th Street, Manhattan, New York City (82)
• Amboy Avenue (100)
• Angels Street (103)
• Atlantic Avenue (83, 91, 92 image caption, 95 image caption, 99) 
• Bayview Avenue (102)
• Broad Street (99)
• Center Avenue (103)
• Church Street (84, 84 image, 92, 99)
• Cliffwood Avenue (100)
• Delaware Avenue (102)
• Eighth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City (82)
• Fountain Avenue (87) 
• Gerard Street (100)
• Greenwood Drive, Cliffwood Beach (Old Bridge) (101)
• Jackson Street (87, 89)
• Lloyd Road (100)
• Lower Main Street (91, 99, 100)
• Main Street (87 image, 88, 89, 90, 91, 95 image caption, 97 image caption, 99) 
• Maple Place, Keyport, previously known as Mott Street (99)
• Mott Street, Keyport, later known as Maple Place, Keyport (99)
• Orchard Street (87)
• Raritan Boulevard, Cliffwood Beach (Old Bridge)
• Route 35 (100, 104)
• Shore Concourse (100)
• Spring Street (86)
• Sutphin Avenue (84)
• Suydam Place (91) 
• Washington Street (99)

Tools, Weapons, and Equipment

• Dynamite (94)
• Fire Alarm, Fire Bell, Fire Siren (95 - 96, 104)
• Firefighting Equipment
• Cistern (95)
• Communications equipment (104)
• Vehicles (98, 98 image, 100, 103-104)
• Rifle(s) (94)

Transportation

• Automobiles (88 image, 96, 98)
• Firefighting vehicles (see Tools, Weapons, and Equipment)
• Horse-drawn vehicles (87, 90)(see also Trolley, Wagon)
• Medical emergency transportation (93, 98) 
• Motorcycle (99)
• Passenger stations (83 photo caption, 85)
• Railroad
• Box cars (85)
• Commuter train service (85)
• Locomotive (99)
• Passenger train service (see Commuter train service)
• Railroad, news communicated by (94)
• Railroad companies
• Central Jersey Railroad (87)
• New York and Long Branch Railroad (NY & LB RR) (83 photo caption)
• Railroad companies, unnamed (87)
• Railroad tracks (84, 85, 87, 88)
• Train stations
• Cliffwood train station (105 image)
• Hazlet train station (83 photo caption)
• Matawan train station (83 photo caption, 87, 87 image caption, 88, 89, 93, 96, 99)
• Roads (see also Streets)
• Keyport Plank Road (87)
• Traffic Control
• First traffic light in Matawan Twp (100)
• Transportation (87-88, 94) (see also Water transportation)
• Trolley
• Trolley companies (87, 96)
• Electrified car trolley companies (87)
• Horse-drawn car trolley companies (87)
• Jersey Central Traction Company (87, 88)
• Keyport and Matawan Street Railway (87)
• Trolley service (86, 87, 87 image, 88, 88 image caption)
• Troop trains (96)
• Wagon, covered (90)
• Water transportation
• Use of local creeks (93 image caption)

Tommys Barbershop Closed for Remodeling

Tommys Barbershop is closed thru Wed 8/22 for remodeling. I hear the place might get a new name.

UPDATE 27 Aug 2012: The barber shop reopened and bears the new name Boys to Men. No sign yet.

Midway Green Cemetery, Aberdeen

Midway Green Cemetery is located on Reids Hill Road in Aberdeen. It is on Aberdeen Block 85 Lot 28 and is situated across the street from Union Prospect Cemetery. Both are thought to be African American graveyards.

The 5 Jan 1911 edition of The Matawan Journal included an obituary for Levena West, age 52, wife of Harry West, of Clinton Street.  She was survived by her husband and two children from a previous marriage. Her funeral was held at the Second Baptist Church. The burial was at Midway Green Cemetery. (The 1910 Federal Census listed her as Lavilia West, age 48, born in Virginia to Virginia parents. She and Harry lived on Orchard Street. Two of her four children were still alive.)

George Joynson, a local genealogist, maintains a web page about the cemetery, including an index of the graves. He says Midway Green's earliest stone is dated 1897; as of 1998, the cemetery was still being used.

History: Midway Green (Matawan)

Midway Green is a section of Matawan Borough. The evidence suggests that it includes the homes and businesses along Main Street between Washington Street and Route 34. I'd be curious to hear more about it from local residents. I pulled an assortment of Matawan Journal articles mentioning this part of the borough and summarized them below.

Martin Weber, Matawan grocer. (1891)

The 23 May 1885 edition and the  15 Aug 1891 edition of The Matawan Journal included the same advertisement for Martin Weber's grocery store at Midway Green, Matawan. Weber's obituary appeared in the 4 Apr 1896 edition of the paper. Weber came from Hahnebach-Hesse, Germany at age 18 and followed the tailor's trade until 1885, when he began his grocery store business. His sons George, Fritz and William assisted him with the grocery. Martin died aged 65 years and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Mrs G Dorre ran an ad in the 25 Jan 1890 edition of The Matawan Journal offering to rent part of her house in Midway Green to a married couple or a single woman at reasonable terms.

Boyce's grocery store is located at Midway Green in Matawan at the old stand formerly occupied by J R Woolley, according to an ad appearing in the 8 Mar 1890 edition of The Matawan Journal..

William D Bailey was selling hardware and farm implements at Midway Green, according to the 16 Dec 1897 edition of The Matawan Journal..

Marcus Duncan moved from Englishtown to R W Herbert's house at Midway Green, according to the 7 Apr 1898 edition of The Matawan Journal. Herbert was selling this house in the 24 Mar 1898 edition of the paper. The ad said the house was formerly owned by John S. Woolley.

The 10 Apr 1902 edition of The Matawan Journal said that James A Heyer had closed his blacksmith shop at Midway Green and moved his business to Crawford's Corner.

The 11 Jun 1908 edition of The Matawan Journal included an announcement that W K H Shafto was moving from Cliffwood to a home in Midway Green. It also noted that S P Tompkins of Midway Green had fine berries, both large and tasty. Wesley K H Shafto, age 30, and Silas P Tompkins, age 79, lived on Main Street and were enumerated on the same page of the 1910 Federal Census.

W D Bailey was having a concrete walk added to his property on Main Street in Midway Green, according to the 29 Sep 1910 edition of The Matawan Journal. The 1910 Federal Census showed William D Bailey, age 67, born in New York, lived on Main Street. He was enumerated on the same page with George Longstreet, Fritz Weber, Thomas Floh, Louis Tice, and Charles Tunis.

The 2 Feb 1911 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that  "George Longstreet has moved into Fritz Weber's house at Midway Green, recently vacated by Mr. Floh." It also said that Charles E "Bud" Smith was building a garage on his house in Midway Green so he could park his automobile there.

A wedding shower for Beatrice Hulsart, daughter of Clifford W and Alma Hulsart, was held at her home in Midway Green, according to a front page article in the 23 Oct 1913 edition of The Matawan Journal. She and her parents lived at 285 Main Street, Matawan, according to the 1920, 1930 and 1940 Federal Censuses. Beatrice divorced soon after her marriage and took her maiden name.

According to the obituary of Obadiah Thomas Geran, which appeared in the 26 Feb 1914 edition of The Matawan Journal, Geran moved from his native Robertsville to Matawan about 1870 and studied tinsmithing with Gordon D White. When Geran went into business for himself, he purchased and occupied the former Caleb T Bailey building at Midway Green. 

The 27 May 1915 edition of The Matawan Journal detailed a vehicular accident that occurred in front of the home of George Eastmond, of Midway Green. His young daughter, Alice, crossed Main Street in front of her home (276 Main Street, according to the 1920, 1930 and 1940 censuses) and was hit by a motorcycle. The cyclist had turned off Middlesex Street (now Route 34) and was proceeding downtown on Main Street. The girl (named Myrtle, according to the census) crossed behind a trolley and the motorcyclist had insufficient time to stop. It turned out that the girl was not seriously hurt, according to the paper.

A Ladies Night event at the Odd Fellows Hall began with a performance by the Midway Green Band, according to the 27 Feb 1919 edition of The Matawan Journal. The band was "100% Weber" - Fritz, Paul, and Chet Weber, accompanied by Hazel Weber on the piano.

The 24 Mar 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 4) carried a story about Jacob Podelefsky, formerly of Keyport, who had moved to Matawan a few weeks earlier and opened a grocery and confectionery store in the Midway Green section of the borough. Podelefsky, 22 years old, was being held on charges of child abuse and had nearly been lynched by Midway Green residents, who gathered in his store.

History: NY-Bound Train Plunges from Newark Bay Lift Bridge, 48 Die (1958)

The 18 Sep 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal provided the names of 18 local area residents who  were killed, injured or missing and presumed dead in a major railroad accident on 15 September 1958. Two engines and three coaches of a New York City-bound passenger train of the Central Railroad of New Jersey fell from the Newark Bay lift bridge into the murky depths of the lower Newark Bay that Monday morning, causing 48 persons to lose their lives.  It was thought to be the second-worst train accident to date.

Here is the initial list of killed, injured, and missing, as well as some of the many notes about the victims and their families, itineraries, etc:

Raritan Township

• Gilmore Corcoran, 26, was on his way to his job at Western Union in NYC (missing and feared dead)
• Henry Reski, 34 (missing and feared dead)
• Daniel Sherban, 69(injured)
• Harold Plate, 40 (injured)

Union Beach

• John McCloskey, 55, was heading to a business meeting in NYC. He was living with his daughter and son-in-law (James Jones) in Union Beach. McCloskey had returned from contracting work in Tripoli two weeks earlier. (injured)
• Donald Weaver, 38 (injured)
• Joseph McDonald, Jr, 31 (injured)
• Mrs Thomas McKittrick (injured)
• Edward McKittrick, her son (injured)
• Nancy McKittrick, her daughter (injured)

Keansburg area

• Frederick C Schweizer, Jr, 34 (dead)

Matawan

• Merritt Jones,  45 (injured)
• Mrs Vernica Jurgelowicz, 29, (dead) and her infant son, Paul (below), were on their way to visit relatives in Jersey City. Her husband, Frank, worked for the railroad. They had moved to Matawan from Bayonne some months ago. They had two other children.
• Paul Edward Jurgelowicz, her 5 month old son (missing and feared dead)

Holmdel Township

• Raphael A Leon (injured)
• Mrs Teresa Leon, his wife (dead)
• Walter Hope, 55 (dead)

 Matawan Township

•  Mrs Joseph Jackson, 34, was on her way to visit her sister in Brooklyn, a weekly trip. (missing and feared dead)

Point Pleasant

• Alvin Hager, 59, stepfather of Mrs Robert E Hartman, of Keyport (injured)

Jersey City

•  Mrs Helen McDonald, 51, returning home from visiting relatives in Hazlet (dead)

An update to the story can be found on the front page of the 25 Sep 1958 edition of the Matawan Journal. Funeral services were detailed on pg 12.

See also:

• Wikipedia's Newark Bay rail accident.
• You Remember That also has a summary of the event, plus an image of The New York Times cover article on the accident. 
• Bright Hub Engineering has quite a few details.
• Jeff Polston's Central Railroad web page has details about the accident, including photos of the last coach dangling from the bridge and the rescue operation that I didn't find elsewhere.

NJ Route 35 Facelift at Hand - Keyport > Aberdeen > Old Bridge

The long anticipated facelift of Route 35 between Keyport and Laurence Harbor is fast approaching. Aberdeen Township plans to implement a detour of Route 35 South for a seven day period, according to Resolution 2012-83, which is on the agenda for this week's Council meeting, so presumably the work, scheduled for FY 2012, will be underway shortly.

Perhaps someone in authority could tell us approximately when this roadwork is expected to take place, which intersections will be affected and how, and describe the detour's route? The resolution is rather uninformative. Since it is part of the consent agenda, there will be no discussion of its details or merits unless someone asks. An interview in The Patch might best serve the community in that regard.

To be fair, traffic is bound to be snarled, whether the hoards are re-routed through local arteries in Cliffwood Beach (Cliffwood Avenue to Greenwood Avenue Lakeshore to Ocean Blvd) or via roads in Cliffwood (County Road to Cliffwood Avenue). Timing is everything, though. If this detour happens during the school year, getting kids to and from Cliffwood Elementary is going to be a major hassle for both parents and buses.

For further details on this roads project, see my blog articles from April 2010 (click here) and March 2011 (click here).

Off the Beaten Path

The Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library has the ninth edition of "Off The Beaten Path - New Jersey: A Guide to Unique Places," by Kay and Bill Scheller. They've been publishing this work for seventeen years. Bill was born in Paterson but the couple currently live in Vermont.

The Schellers divide the state into five regions and provide over 30 pages to each, identifying and describing their favorite spots for touring, dining, and lodging. Perhaps the book will give you some unique ideas of places to visit in the state before summer ends? Or maybe you want to begin to plan some fall day trips?

Our area fell under the Central Lowlands portion of Central New Jersey. Local spots featured in the book include the Freneau Gravesite (pg 94), Big Ed's Barbeque (pg 95), the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial (pg 93), Nicholas restaurant (pg 94), and the Monmouth Museum (pg 93) at Brookdale College. Longstreet Farm at Holmdel Park gets an Other Attractions mention (pg 100) but no description. We have no worthy lodgings in our entire area (pp 97-98) -- take note, local chambers.

If I were picking local eateries, I might have mentioned Drew's Bistro and/or Nemo's in Keyport as worth exploring. I would have put Nicholas restaurant in the Shore section of the book, if I included it at all. It seems a bit too exclusive for a book like this, IMHO.  I might have included the Cliffwood Beach seawall, which is certainly off the beaten path yet provides a nice view of Raritan Bay and Keyport harbor.

As for local historical sites, Matawan and Keyport have some work to do. Matawan needs to put some serious flesh on plans for the shark attacks anniversary in 2016. And Keyport has the makings of a fine mariners and seaplane museum. If either municipality or chamber makes progress before the next edition of this book, maybe we'd get more than a paragraph?

This paperback resides in the New Books section of the library, inside the door and along the wall. It bears Dewey code 917.49 Sc.

Anthony Tourine, of Tony's Barber Shop, Matawan

Anthony Tourine was the owner of Tony's Barber Shop in Matawan for many years. He was born 7 Feb 1901 in Matawan and died at Bayshore Hospital at age 85 on 7 Aug 1986.

In the 1920 Federal Census for New Jersey, a 19-year-old Tony was already a barber with his own shop. He was living with his Italian parents, Frank and Mary Tourine, and six siblings at the family home at 68 Main Street in Matawan. Frank was a retail merchant in a general store.

The 26 Jul 1929 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the above advertisement announcing that Tony was moving his men's barber shop across the street to 115B Main Street. He was adding a women's barber shop next door in an adjoining shop at 115A Main Street.

Anthony was married with one child in the 1930 Federal Census for New Jersey. They lived at 73 Main Street in Matawan. Tony was a barber with his own shop. 

Tony went hunting in Vanderburg in Nov 1934, according to the 23 Nov 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal. He shot 6 rabbits. Vanderburg is a section of Colts Neck.

Tony was married with two children in the 1940 Federal Census for New Jersey. They lived at 73 Main Street in Matawan. Tony was a barber with his own shop. 

The 9 Oct 1947 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that Tony was building a new garage and gas station on Main Street between Aberdeen Road and High Street. The property formerly belonged to Charles Schock.

Tony was to be on the Matawan First Aid Squad team for the arclight donkey softball game against the Matawan Business Association, per the 18 Aug 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal. The match, which was to benefit the first aid squad, was to be played at the high school field on Saturday.

Pauline Parish was in charge of a beauty parlor in her uncle's barber shop, according to the 21 May 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal. The newspaper suggested that the barber shop's name was the Tony Tourine Barber and Beauty Parlor.

Tony was quite the hunter. He shot 3 deer and a bear while on a hunting trip to Canada and Pennsylvania, according to the 13 Dec 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Tony joined friends in Topsfield, Maine for a hunting trip in Nov 1952, according to the 27 Nov 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal. And in November 1955, he shot two small bears and a large 6-point buck, according to the 10 Nov 1955 edition of The Journal.


The 27 Nov 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal said that Tony joined some local friends for a hunting trip to the Catskills, where the group bagged a 145-pound buck  and a 253-pound bear. The group made the same trip the year before, according to the 28 Nov 1957 edition of The Journal.

See his obituary on pg 54 of the 13 Aug 1986 edition of The Independent.

History: Matawan Housewives and the Ground Observer Corps (1957)

Ground Observer Corps

The 14 Nov 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal included an advertisement from the Ground Observer Corps, which was recruiting housewives during the Cold War to spot hostile aircraft and help prevent an outbreak of hostilities, presumably between the US and the Soviet bloc.

WHAT A HOUSEWIFE CAN DO TO PREVENT A WAR!

To meet the threat of an air attack, our armed services need your help. They need your eyes and ears as a civilian volunteer spotter in the Ground Observer Corps.

As a spotter you'll be helping to strengthen our defenses and the stronger our defenses grow, the less chance there is of an aggressor starting a war. Reason enough, don't you agree, to volunteer for the Ground Observer Corps today!

Wake up! Sign up! Look up!

Join the Ground Observer Corps. 

Call or write Civil Defense.

Pioneer Commodities USA, Cliffwood

Cocoa by the bag (World Cocoa Foundation)

Pioneer Commodities USA LLC is petitioning the Aberdeen Township Planning Board to allow them to begin storing 10,500 warehouse pallets up to 15 feet high in the southeast corner of the old Anchor Glass plant parking lot, 145 Cliffwood Avenue in Cliffwood, according to the 15 Aug 2012 agenda.

Research suggests that the company has a relationship with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which is currently warehousing nearly 5 million bags of cocoa nationwide through its ICE Futures US branch. Over 800,000 bags of cocoa that arrived from around the world via Port of New York is currently in warehouses in the New York City area as of 10 August. The Cliffwood site is listed among ICE Future's approved warehouses supporting the Port of New York. Pioneer's point of contact is listed as John Cavaliere. See ICE Futures Report Center for Cocoa Warehouse Stock commodities statistics.

So, the large stock of pallets is apparently meant to facilitate storage of commodities at the Somerset Anchor site.

What Happened in 1512?

Pope Julius II (Wikimedia)

Five hundred years ago, Pope Julius II was walking back his overly successful League of Cambria, an alliance he'd formed in 1508 to weaken his chief rival Venice. All the major powers of Europe wanted a piece of Venice's rich holdings, but by 1510 Julius began to worry that the once powerful Venetian army would be totally diminished in the onslaught, leaving the Papal States alone against the large armies of Europe. So Julius turned against Louis XII of France and allied with Venice in what would be called the Holy League. France was expelled from Italy in 1512.

Gaston de Foix (Wikimedia)

Gaston of Foix, Duke of Nemours earned the nickname the Thunderbolt of Italy while commanding French troops against the Holy League in 1511-12. He was shot and killed in April 1512 while leading cavalry against Spanish infantry in northeastern Italy at the Battle of Ravenna.

Martin Luther, as Augustinian monk, 1505- 1520. (Wikimedia)

Martin Luther earned his Doctorate of Theology and joined the faculty of the University of Wittenburg.

Sistene Chapel (Smithsonian)

Michelangelo's ceiling at the Sistene Chapel was displayed for the first time.

The Laws of Burgos were the first attempt to develop guidance for Spaniards on how to act towards the indigenous peoples of the New World territories of Hispanola, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. The laws had to be revised and augmented several times, eventually becoming part of the Laws of the Indies.

National Night Out 2012 in Aberdeen

We had a very nice National Night Out 2012 last night. We brought some chairs outside and shared a bottle of white zinfandel on the porch with our neighbors. I'm not sure we took a bite out of crime, but we had a great time. We did the same thing last year, but our neighbors supplied the wine and porch.

Fallen Branch Threatens Gravestones at Mt Pleasant

Fallen Branch Threatens Gravestones at Mt Pleasant

A large tree branch has split and hangs precariously near the gravestones of Mathias n Eliz Hulsart at Mt Pleasant Cemetery.

Majority of NJ Voters Don't Know Joe Kyrillos, Down from Large Majority in May

Here's an excerpt from a NJ election poll analysis written by FDU Mindpoll and included in the 2 August 2012 edition of the Atlantic Highlands Herald online.

"Despite the lead that Menendez holds over Kyrillos, there’s some good news for the senator from Monmouth County. More than half of all registered voters (57%) remain uncertain about who he is, and among them the majority are either positively predisposed toward the senator or have no opinion."

So, Fairleigh Dickinson University has found a silver lining in the bad news for Joe Kyrillos. A majority of NJ voters might not be too sure who he is but, of that group of people who don't know him, most can't think of a bad thing to say about him.

Oh, and FDU discovered even more supposed good news for the Kyrillos campaign: the fact that 57% of NJ voters get a vacant look when asked who Kyrillos is suggests that things are getting better for him. After all, that number was 68% back in May.

What sort of voodoo political poll analysis is this? Fairleigh bad, I'd say. And not very balanced.

Rock n Arrests at Train Station

Lots of emergency vehicles at Ab-Mat train station tonite. Some rockers heading from NJ Transit trains to shuttle buses going to the 311 Slightly Stoopid concert at the PNC Arts Center were arrested for fighting. Others were taken away to hospitals with heat exhaustion.

See The Patch for details on this story.