History: Charles Appleby, Real Estate Tycoon, Dead at 89 (1913)

When the New York real estate magnate Charles Appleby died in New York City at 89, a brief obituary appeared on the last page of the 18 Dec 1913 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 8, col 5).  A Middletown, NJ native, Appleby maintained his New Jersey residency until he died.

Appleby was of local interest because his nephew, T Frank Appleby, was an Old Bridge native who had recently served as Mayor of Asbury Park. (A photo of his real estate agency in Asbury Park appears at Monmouth Plus.) He would later represent New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District (1921-23), lose the next election, then win his seat back in the 1924 election, but die before taking office. His son, Stewart H Appleby, would take his place in office (1925-27). The 3rd Congressional District would be Matawan's local district until 1993, the seat most recently held by James Howard (1965-88), and Frank Pallone (1988-93).

Appleby had an amazing sense for real estate. His holdings included exclusive properties along the edge of Central Park and on Riverside Drive. Appleby purchased farmland in Glen Cove, Long IslandNew York in the 1870's, according to Glen Cove Heritage. Just before he died, Appleby solidified his massive holdings on West 57th Street, according to the 7 Oct 1913 edition of The New York Times. At the end, he left a $50 million estate to his two sons, according to Dynastic America and Those Who Own It, by Henry H Klein, pg 37.