A J Cartan's Department Store, 92 Main Street, Matawan was owned and operated by Andrew Johnson Cartan (1865-1927), of the same place. He was the son of Lawrence (1832-1903) and Ellen Cottrell Cartan (1840-1888). His father, originally from Ireland, operated a lumber and flower business. Andrew's wife was Sarah (1873-1933).
Photographs of the store dated 1910 and 1925 can be found on page 32 of Around Matawan and Aberdeen, by Helen Henderson. A photograph of Cartan Coal and Feed, situated at 90 Main Street in 1910, is available on page 33 of the same volume.
Andrew J Cartan died in 1927 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, according to Find-a-Grave. (There's no photographs of the Cartan family's Rose Hill Cemetery gravestones at Find-a-Grave, so an industrious reader with photography and web skills and an interest in history might want to take some shots and add them to the Find-A-Grave site. Or take the photos and send them to me by email for uploading.)
Andrew's wife, Sarah Cartan, died in 1933 and was buried at Green Grove Cemetery in Keyport, according to Find-A-Grave. A nice photo of the gravestone is available at the site.
Andrew J Cartan (age 54, born in New Jersey to an Irish father and NJ mother) was enumerated at 83 Main Street in Matawan with the occupation of retail merchant at a general store in the 1920 Federal Census. He was listed as married but no wife appeared with him.
Andrew J Cartan (44 NJ) appeared with wife Sarah (36 NJ) in the 1910 Federal Census. Children were Helen (16) and Johnson (8). Andrew and Sarah had been married 18 years and Sarah had had two children, both surviving. Andrew was listed as a retail merchant in a grocery store. A notation said he was an employer. (The 1910 Census distinguished between those who employed persons, workers who were employed by others, and those who worked "on their own account." The enumerator noted these as EMP, W, and OA.)
Lawrence Cartan died in 1903 and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Matawan, according to Find-A-Grave. No photo of gravestone.
Johnson A Cartan (Aug 1865, 34 NJ) appeared with wife Sarah (Nov 1873, 26) and daughter Helen (Jun 1893 NJ) in the 1900 Federal Census. Johnson was listed as a store keeper, groceries. His widowed father, Lawrence (Jun 1832, 67 Ireland) appeared on the same page with children Katie (Sep 1871, 28 NJ), Garret (Dec 1873, 26 NJ), Alice (Feb 1876, 24 NJ), and Bert (Jun 1879, 20 NJ). Only Bert was employed, as a bank clerk.
Caroline Cartan died in 1888 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, according to Find-A-Grave. No photo of gravestone.
A Johnson Cartan (14 NJ) was enumerated in the Matawan household of Lawrence (50 Ireland) and Ellen (40 NJ) Cartan in the 1880 Federal Census. His father was a dealer in flour and lumber. A J had three brothers: Lawrence, Jr (7), Garrett (5), and Birdie (1) and two sisters, Katie (9) and Alice (3). The elder Alice (16?) and Ella (11?) were missing from the household and are presumed to have died. Some families in those days would use a name again to memorialize a child who had died.
Andrew J Cartan (age 4 NJ) was enumerated in the Matawan household of Lawrence (39 Ireland) and Ellen Cartan (30 NJ) in the 1870 Federal Census, along with his siblings Alice (6) and Ella (1)..
In the 1860 Federal Census, Lawrence Cartan (age 30, Ireland) was enumerated in the Matawan household of master carpenter Reuben (Reban, sic) Brown and his wife Caroline. Lawrence was a master miller with $3,000 in real property and $200 in personal property.
If someone will check the Matawan Journal obituaries index at Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library and email me the dates the obituaries appeared in the newspaper, I'll grab whatever additional information might be available and provide links to those papers. The indices are large, floppy printouts with plastic covers that can found in the Reference section of the library. Ask at the Reference Desk if you're unfamiliar with that great resource for local history and genealogy information.
 |
| A J Cartan's Department Store, Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
 |
| A J Cartan's Department Store Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
 |
| A J Cartan's Department Store, Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
 |
| A J Cartan's Department Store, Christmas ad (Matawan Journal, 18 Dec 1913) |
Thank you for this very interesting article on the Cartan store. Alice Cartan was a young friend of my great grandmother Alice Gordon Hayward, also of Matawan. After Alice married E. Morgan Griffin of East Norwich, Nassau, NY and moved there she invited Alice & Alice's friend, Antoinette Schock, also of Matawan, to stay with them. (East Norwich Enterprise, 26 Sep 1895). Alice's obituary is located on the front page of The Matawan Journal issue of 22 Nov 1900. There is also a different account on the front page of The Red Bank Register of 21 Nov 1900. Alice Gordon's nieces, "the Misses Williams of Jersey City", are listed as attendees. A photo of Alice Cartan's headstone at Rose Hill can be located on Find A Grave. I would be very interested in a photo of Alice Cartan if one exists.-Peter Hayward
ReplyDelete