History: Free Public High Schools in New Jersey

High schools in New Jersey started in the big cities -- Newark in 1836, and Trenton in 1842. Unfortunately, each local district established its own approach to post-common school education, yielding little agreement on what a high school might teach, or even whether a particular school district wanted to provide education beyond grammar school. Many communities didn't want to pay higher taxes just to fund a "poor man's academy", so little was done outside of the big cities to provide free education past the eighth grade.
The system of free public schools in New Jersey is based on the Free School Law of 1871. About fifty years earlier, the State School Fund had been an effort to help townships educate the poor. Between 1817 and 1871, the state abolished pauper schools, tuition payments, and the funding of sectarian schools and gave us school districts, local superintendents of schools, school boards, state tax education apportionments, and, of course, the beginnings of local school taxes.


In 1905, State Superintendent of Schools Charles J Baxter sent a letter to local school districts, pointing out that they had a constitutional mandate to provide free education to students up to and including the age of eighteen under the Free School Law of 1871. In the letter, Baxter told districts this could be accomplished either by operating a high school within an individual district or by making arrangements with a nearby district to accept their students. Baxter threatened to withhold the state school aid apportionment of any district which failed to comply.

Monmouth County Schools Superintendent John Enright tested eighth grade graduates of Matawan and Raritan townships and found five Matawan twp graduates eligible to study in high school. "These graduates have a high school course to finish before they are graduates from the school. They are simply leaving the grammar school department to undertake the studies of the high school department.The granting of diplomas this time is something new and an incentive for the younger scholars to continue along and work hard to obtain them. This marks the close usually of the ninth year work. Sometimes scholars cannot stay in school after passing from the grammar to the high school department and some of them would be as proud of a diploma obtained in that way as if they had taken the entire course and become full fledged graduates."   (26 May 1898 edition of The Matawan Journal)

County Superintendent Enright gathered the local school boards in December 1907 to explain new state rules on fees charged to sending districts as well as maximum high school tuition and daily attendance charges. (12 Dec 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal)

The Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library has some dated but still useful books on this subject:

• The New Jersey High School: A History, by Robert D Bole and Laurence B Johnson (1964) (974.9 B)
• Elementary Education in New Jersey: A History, by Roscoe L West (1964) (974.9 W)
• Education in New Jersey 1630-1871, by Nelson R Burr (1942)

A&P in Cliffwood to Close Before Labor Day

The A&P grocery store in Cliffwood is closing its doors on Friday 4 September 2015. It is part of a larger corporate bankruptcy, according to the 20 Jul 2015 edition of The Wall Street Journal. Other local A&P groceries being closed include the Route 9 store in Old Bridge and the store on Route 35 in Holmdel. Corporate is raising some quick cash as part of its Chapter 11 proceedings. Others not yet named will also close or change hands soon enough.

The Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company opened this grocery store in Cliffwood on 6 October 1959. (See related article)

The Cliffwood store survived the arrival of Price Club, whose  box store in Hazlet soon killed the small, family-run Foodtown in downtown Matawan. But A&P couldn't stop the bleeding as shoppers flocked to the many well-stocked and competitively priced stores in the area, including Shop Rites on Lloyd Road in Aberdeen and Route 35 in Hazlet and Stop n Shops in Aberdeen and Keyport.

Opinions of A&P in Cliffwood weren't mixed; the store had grown increasingly unpopular in the area, leaving it to serve more as a large convenience store than as a grocer. It was my impression that A&P wasn't as "fresh obsessed" as its advertising implied. I can't tell you how many times I found expired products on the shelf or in my grocery bag. My neighbors complained that prices weren't competitive and selection was poor.


Residents will just have to wait and see what will become of the space. The economy is strong and vacancies that abounded along Route 35 two or three years ago have all been filled. The intersection of Route 35 and Cliffwood Avenue has just been upgraded. Perhaps a new tenant will be found quickly?

History: Large Prohibition-Era Still Operated for Months on South Concourse (1934)

According to the 21 Dec 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 8), two persons were arrested at a home on South Concourse in Cliffwood Beach for operating a 2,500 gallon still. The device filled the house from cellar to attic, according to officials. One of those arrested had to be smoked out of an escape tunnel built from the basement to a place behind the garage.

The article said the site was a red brick house at the entrance to South Concourse. The original property owner, who lived in New York, built the house in his spare time over a two year period in the late 1920s. The building and loan foreclosed on him when hard times hit and the house fell into disuse. A renter took the property and made significant improvements about six months prior to the raid.

This event is mentioned on pg 108 of Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field, by Helen Henderson.

History: Green Acres Project Planned for Cliffwood Beach (1976)

The 29 Sep 1976 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2) contains the following article that both laments the lost glory of Cliffwood Beach as a popular beach resort and boasts of plans for a Green Acres project to make a park with tennis and basketball courts and other amenities just off the beach.

I moved to Cliffwood Beach two years after this article was published. The park project was all that was described in the article and more, with basketball courts, fenced-in tennis courts, bocci ball frames, swings, slides and climbing toys  for children, and a small recreation building for a recreation manager to provide equipment by the hour. There was a new sloping lawn, parking lot and paved pathways intersecting the property. Bird watching signs were placed along a paved shore path near Treasure Lake to encourage nature enthusiasts.

The beach area was rather isolated, though, so it became a place for people to hang out after hours. While much of the activity was innocent, being mostly out of sight led to graffiti, destruction of equipment and property, other crimes, and frequent visits from the police. The bird watching signs were defaced and torn off their posts. Eventually the recreation building had to be torn down, the tennis courts were converted into a street hockey court and then abandoned, and new swings and recreational equipment and a beach volleyball area were added. The seawall -- already in existence by 1976 -- was made into a promenade a few years ago, with formal access from the harbor end of Cliffwood Beach.

Sandy flooded the area, bringing with it a heavy coating of the dune sands pushed off the beach and onto the basketball courts. The ground in the park became spongy and alkali. The paved walks were submerged in muck and mostly unseen. The storm also changed the effect of the tides on the park -- tidal flooding began to fill the roadway and low lying parkland with frequent surges of seawater and even actual waves. The seawall promenade and the land behind it were pounded and some sections undercut, lifted and cracked by the raging Raritan Bay, but the walkway mostly survived.

The article below starts out with local residents' reminiscences and local impressions of life in Cliffwood Beach. They offer their personal theories of how the resort, built in the 1920s, had been left untended and for the most part disappeared fifty years later. The article ends with local officials discussing the planned creation of an adjoining park that rose and has mostly fallen during the ensuring 40 years.

Can Cliffwood Beach Recapture Glory of Past?

MATAWAN TOWNSHIP

You wouldn’t know to look at it, but Cliffwood Beach was once one of the garden spots of the Jersey shore.

Now all that remains of the boardwalk is a line of forlorn black pilings poking their heads above the waves. The dance hall has vanished without a trace. And the salt water swimming pool resembles a giant concrete planter for reeds and brush mysteriously deposited in the high ground above the shoreline.

The swimming beach has been eroded away and most of the fossil-rich cliffs have fol­lowed them , blasted by storm-driven waves on one side and undermined by septic tank seepage on another.

Treasure Lake is still there, but the water is shallow, stag­nant, and slick with algae.

Some Cliffwood Beach resi­dents remember the glory days, before harsh weather and public and private neglect took their toll. Mrs. Mardell “Mardy” Edwards, Woodmere Drive, rummaged through her keepsakes to dig out a sheaf of old Cliffwood Beach postcards.

“ I ’m not really an old-tim­er," Mrs. Edwards said. “I’ve only been here 27 years. But it was beautiful, really some­thing. Now you can see what neglect can do.”

The postcards might have come from another world. Still fresh with the pastel colors of 40 years ago, they depict clean beaches, wide boardwalks, a bustling pool scene, rowboats on a tree-shaded lake, and an elegant dance hall.

“People who drive by this area on the highway have no idea of the resources that are available,” Mrs. Edwards said. “ The beaches around here, years ago, were poor man’s paradises.”

A neighbor, Mrs. Alex Mose, was a regular summer visitor to Cliffwood Beach before moving here 16 years ago.

“We had homes up on the cliffs, and you could see all the way to New York ,” she re­called . 

“There was dancing in the casino, bungalows every­ here. But the people at the helm were asleep at their posts, and they let the beach go to pot. You can’t imagine what we had here at one time.”

“They didn’t think too much of maintaining the area for the future as they did of develop­ing it for the present,” Mrs. Edwards said. “There was al­ways a lack of maintenance and then we had a big building boom in the 1950s.” 

The building boom, she con­tinued, brought unexpected problems. “We have clay soil around here, and most of the houses built then had septic tanks,” she said. “ Clay soil doesn’t go with septic tanks. The tanks seeped and the cliffs were washed out from under­neath.”

Over the years, Mrs. Edwards said, hurricanes caused damage to the area that was never repaired.

“The salt water pool was bulldozed over after storms cracked it ,” she said, “ and the waves carried most of the beaches out to sea. A lot of the bungalows were washed away and so was most of Cliff­wood Drive .”

Nature, however, has not been the only destroyer.

“The new sea wall is already decorated with brok­en beer bottles,” Mrs. Edwards said. “Nobody goes swimming barefoot anymore. We keep a garbage can down there by the water’s edge, but people throw the bottles any­way.

“Then there’s the eternal battle to try to save the horse­shoe crabs,” she went on. “Some people think they’re doing us a favor by killing them, and we tell them, ‘Next time bring the crabs home and let ’em decay under your windows, and you’ll see how much of a favor it is.’"

Some people believe—and they’re wrong—that you can get stung by the crab’s tail, but  nobody’s ever hurt. By broken glass, yes; but by the horseshoe crabs, no.”

Although the story of ne­glect in Cliffwood Beach is a sad one, Township Manager Donald Guiuzzy said Matawan is hopeful of doing much to restore the area.

A sea wall has already been built to protect the land against the waves, and an earthen slope has been raised behind the wall.

“We hope to finish our slope protection project by mid-Oc­tober,” Guiuzzy said. “We’re planting grass, some flowers, and crown vetch to stop ero­sion.”
 
The next phase of the overall project, he said, will be to install recreation facili­ties, including four tennis courts, shuffleboard and bas­ketball courts, chess and checkers tables, perhaps bocci and horseshoe pits, a parking area, walkways, and “tot lots” for small children. Guiuzzy said the phase should be finished by spring.

“The recreation phase is all funded by state and federal grants,” he said. “We went out and aggressively tried for grants, and we got them.”
 
Guiuzzy said projects for restoration of the beach itself “look good for approval” by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We want to restore one mile of bathing beach,” he explained, “and we hope we can start doing it in the winter. So far, we’re four years ahead of schedule. We’ve shown some of our plans to the engineers and gotten some very favorable reactions. We think they’ll help us.” 
 
Half of the cost of restoring the beach, Guiuzzy said, would at first be funded by the federal government and half by the township. Ultimately, he said, the township hopes to secure 10 percent of the cost from the county and 25 percent from the state. 

“There’s a lot of potential," Guiuzzy said. “ For instance, we’d like to cooperate with Old Bridge Township to create a marina on Whale Creek, right on the county line , financed by the Corps of Engineers. I think that would be a great joint project for the two townships.”

Guiuzzy said he didn’t know if the area could be restored to all its former splendor as a resort site.

“It’s difficult to make a prediction like that,” he said, “But one thing I do know: we’re making it a lot better than it is now."

History: Charles Heyl, Matawan Baker (1939)

Charles Heyl (1922)

The 5 Jan 1939 edition of The Matawan Journal reported the impending retirement of Charles Heyl, a long-time baker in Matawan. The piece was on the front page with a banner headline, but Charles was surprised at the coverage, saying he hadn't told anyone about his plans. There seem to be a few errors in the timeline, based on my research, which I've provided below. I was unable to find reporting on Charles' death, which seems to have occurred between 1943 and 1950.

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Charles was born 17 Dec 1870 in Aschuffenburg, Germany to Peter Heyl, according to his passport application in 1922. His naturalization papers in 1895 say he was born 17 May 1870. His 1900 Census record showed his birth in Dec 1869.

Charles sailed for America from Antwerp in Jun 1887, according to his passport application in 1922.  His naturalization papers in 1895 say he arrived on 27 Apr 1887.

The 1892 New York State Census showed Frank Heyl (55 Germany) and wife Mary (52 Germany) with children Charles (20 Germany), John (18 Germany), August (12 US), and Edwin (10 US) living in Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. Frank was listed as as engineer.

Charles was naturalized on 16 May 1895 in New York County, NY. At the time, he was living at 2459 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. He was a baker. A neighbor, Charles Linder, merchant, served as witness.

Charles married about 1897 to a German woman named Frances, who emigrated to the US in 1892 or 1893.
The 1900 Federal Census showed Charles (30 Germany - Dec 1869) and wife Fanny (25 Germany - Sep 1874) living on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, along with daughter Mary J (8 mos Germany - .Sep 1899). Charles was listed as a baker.

The 1905 New York State Census showed Charles (35 Germany) and Fannie (30 Germany) with daughter Theresa (5 Germany) living at 2463 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, NY. Charles was listed as a baker.

Charles moved to Matawan and established a new bakery on the "Gehlhaus Block," where Charles Gehlhaus had operated a bakery for many years. Frederick "Fred" Meyr became his partner in the operation of Heyl & Meyer Bakery, which opened on 13 Jun 1908.

The 1910 Federal Census showed Charles (40 Germany) living on Main Street in Matawan, along with his wife Frances (35 Germany) and their daughter Theresa (10 Germany). Also in the household is Frederick Meyer (35 NJ NJ NJ), Charles' business partner, and August Ludwig (18 Germany), also a baker. August emigrated to the US in 1909 and remained an alien.

The 10 Aug 1911 edition of The Matawan Journal reported the visit of Mrs Heyl's sister and niece, Mrs Rossback and Lena, respectively, of New York. Her nephew, Charles Rossback, stayed with the Heyls for several weeks.

The 1920 Federal Census showed the widowed Charles (49 Germany) living on Holmdel Road in Matawan Township, along with his daughter Theresa Heyl (20 NJ Germany Germany). Also in the household was his business partner, Fred Meyer (43 NJ NJ NJ). Both Charles and Fred were listed as bakers. 

Charles filed a US passport application in 1922 for an upcoming voyage to Germany. His application said he was domiciled on Main Street in Matawan and was working as a baker.

Charles remarried about 1922 to a German woman named Elise, nicknamed Ella, who emigrated to the US in 1922. UPDATE: She was Ella Schwab, daughter of Franz and Kunigunde (Hornbacker) Schwab, according to her obituary.

Charles put an addition on his home on Valley Drive and resumed his baking.

The 1930 Federal Census showed Charles (59 Germany) living on Valley Drive in Matawan, along with his second wife, Ella (38 Germany) and a boarder, Emma Wilson (17 NJ NJ NJ). Charles was listed as a baker with his own business. Ella remained an alien.

Charles and his wife Elise (40 Wuerzburg, Germany), of Matawan, sailed from Hamburg aboard the S S Deutschland on 19 Mar 1931.

Two months after the headline (at top) saying he planned to retire, Charles was rushed to Perth Amboy Hospital, as reported in the 30 Mar 1939 edition of The Matawan Journal. He and his wife had returned a week earlier from a vacation in Florida.

The 1940 Federal Census showed Charles (69 Germany) and Ella (48 Germany) living in Matawan Township.

The 23 Dec 1943 edition of The Matawan Journal reported a recent dinner honoring Mr and Mrs Charles Heyl.

The 2 Nov 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that Mrs Charles Heyl would be sailing to Germany to spend four months visiting relatives.

UPDATE: Ella S Heyl, resident of Valley Drive in Matawan, died 7 Oct 1955 at Monmouth Memorial Hospital in Long Branch, according to her obituary in the 13 Oct 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal. She was buried as Ella Schwab Heyl at St Joseph's Cemetery in Keyport. Her gravestone says she was born in 1892, according to Find A Grave. Her obituary said Ella had lived in Matawan for 35 years and was survived by her daughter, Theresa Diggin, of Matawan, and three sisters in Germany.

Fred Meyer died on 12 Jun 1958, according to his obituary in the 19 Jun 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal..

Route 35 Road Work - Intersections Update

I discovered more details about the Cliffwood Avenue and Amboy Avenue intersection road work at the NJ Department of Transportation website tonight. It helps explain what the final outcome of the road work will be. The elaboration could have always been there, but I didn't notice it. If so, mea culpa.

So, on Cliffwood Avenue passing the A&P Shopping Center, entering Cliffwood Beach, they are adding a right turn lane. On the Goodwill side of the road, leaving Cliffwood Beach, they are adding a thru lane, resulting in a left turn lane, a thru lane, and a right turn lane.

Amboy Avenue will get an additional thru lane and improved traffic light sequencing to improve traffic flow onto southbound Route 35 (towards Hazlet). For safety reasons, they plan to close the road behind McDonald's that connects Amboy Avenue with Cliffwood Avenue.

A lot of the digging between Cliffwood Avenue and Amboy Avenue has been to add storm drainage. You can read the 2013 notice about the overall construction project here. They were calling for the work to be completed in 2015. The biggest part of the job, lifting Route 35 and adding new culverts through the area that routinely flooded, seems to be done. The intersection work at Cliffwood Avenue has quite a ways to go yet.

History: Joseph Rose (1809 - 1877)

Joseph Rose, a prominent businessman and Democratic New York City revenue official, relocated to the Cliffwood section of Matawan Township in 1860 after an infirmity brought an early end to his hectic city life. He had purchased a farm in Cliffwood about 1832 and owned a large home on County Road, so he and his family were well acquainted with the Bayshore. He is recognized in New York City history for playing a role in the purchase of Central Park. Local history in Matawan recognizes him for selling the land used in the development of Rose Hill Cemetery. He served one term as a Monmouth County Freeholder representing Matawan Township.

Below are some research notes on Joseph Rose and his wife and children:

Joseph Rose was born 25 Oct 1809 in Manhattan, New York, son of Joseph Rose, who was born in 1768 in Manhattan, New York and died on 21 Nov 1852 in Matawan, according to notes at Find-A-Grave.

The 1820 Federal Census includes a Joseph Rose in the 10th Ward of New York, NY with a male less than 10 (Joseph Jr), a male 26-44 (Joseph?), and a female 26-44 (Joseph's wife).

He married Frances Stanton Willet on 23 Oct 1827, according to notes at Find-a-Grave.

The 1830 Federal Census includes a Joseph Rose, Jr in New Barbadoes, Bergen County, NJ with 1 male 20-29 (Joseph), 1 male 30-39 (?), and 1 male 60-69 (Joseph Sr?), 1 female less than 5 (?), and 1 female 20-39 (Frances). 

The 1840 Federal Census includes a Joseph Rose in the 17th Ward of New York, NY with 2 males under 5 (sons Joseph and George), 2 males 15-19 (laborers?), 1 male 20-29 (Joseph), 1 female under 5 (daughter?), 1 female 20-29 (Frances). There were 3 persons in manufacture and trade (Joseph and two laborers).

The 1850 Federal Census lists Joseph Rose, Jr (40 NY), a gun smith in the 4th Ward of Manhattan, NY with $8,000 in real property, with wife Frances S Rose (42 MA), sons Joseph Rose (15 NY), George Rose (13 NY) , William Rose (10 NY) and Cordelia Rose (5 NY). Also in the household was Mary Curran, of Ireland.

The 1860 Federal Census lists Joseph Rose (50 NY), a farmer in Matawan with $30,000 in real property and $6,000 in personal property, with wife Frances S Rose (50 MA) and daughter Cordelia Rose (15 NY). Also in the household were Thomas and Margaret Martin, farm laborer and servant, respectively, of Ireland. Also in the household weree Jacob Seal of Wirtemburg, farm laborer, and Mary Rose (18 NY), possibly another daughter.

The 1870 Federal Census lists Joseph Rose (60 NY), a farmer in Matawan with $35,000 in real property and $30,000 in personal property, with wife Frances S Rose (50 CT). Also in the household were three farm laborers and an elderly man named Clark Phelee (74 NY).

Joseph Rose died 4 Dec 1877 in Matawan, according to notes at Find-a-Grave.

His obituary appeared in the 8 Dec 1877 edition of The Matawan Journal. The text (as much as I could read) is found below:

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OBITUARY - MR JOSEPH ROSE

     ---, one of the oldest residents of this township. For two or three days it had been reported that he was very ill; but so vigorous had he always seemed that few anticipated a fatal result. He had been complaining for two or three weeks, but was not confined to his bed until Friday last, and from that time he seemed to fall into a frequent stupor and unconsciousness, and died on Tuesday morning, 4th inst, at 9 o'clock. The cause of his sudden death was Bright's disease of the kidneys, and the rapid degeneration of these organs produced a condition of anemia which hastened his end.

     Mr Rose was a gentleman of intelligence, integrity of moral character, sociability and possessed of a very warm and benevolent nature. He began business in New York city in very early life, was married before he was nineteen, and growing up with the growth of the city he won to him very many friends by the close adherence to business, promptness in all his business engagements and strict honesty in all his dealings.

     While a resident of New York, he represented the city in the Legislature for one term and refused renomination. He was a Democrat in politics and a warm partisan. He served for two terms as Collector of City Revenue under Comptroller Flagg, and his integrity was held so high that on the election of Comptroller Haws, though politically an opponent, he was urged to remain in his position, and he continued as Collector of the Revenue until compelled by vertigo to resign. He, as occupying the above place, had much to do with negotiating the purchase of Central Park.

     He was an officer in the old City Guards and an intimate associate of Hon John Kelly, Judge Chas P Daley and other prominent men of New York.

     About 45 years ago he purchased a farm at Cliffwood and has ever since been the owner of the same. He owned the site of Rose Hill Cemetery and sold it to the cemetery corporation. That place is honored with his name, and in it is his family plot where his remains will be interred. For several years prior to his permanent removal to New Jersey his family spent their summers at Cliffwood. Shortly after the severe attack of vertigo that compelled him to give up a lucrative position and a profitable business besides, he removed in 1860 to his farm and has for the past 17 years resided among us, endearing himself to this community, and during the time represented the township for one term to the Board of Freeholders.

     On the 23rd of October last, only about six weeks ago, a merry company gathered at his residential home to join with him and his wife in celebration : their golden wedding. We referred then to the miniature sheaf of wheat overhanging their bed, less a symbol of ripening years. ---------- it becomes also the symbol of his having been gathered in by the great harvester, Death.

     Mr Rose will be missed not alone by his widow and large family of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, but the whole community, and in his benevolence his loss will be keenly felt by many living in the immediate vicinity of his home.

     The funeral will take place on Monday next, 10th inst, at 1:30 pm, the long delay being occasioned that the youngest son, from Colorado, might be present at the funeral.

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See also the 8 Sep 2013 article of the blog From Maine to Kentucky, which contains a rendering of the above obituary, along with images of the original text.

In 1853, the State of New York authorized the purchase of 700 acres of Manhattan for the establishment of Central Park. See Central Park History.

The 28 Oct 1893 edition of The New York Times carried the obituary of Frances Stanton Rose, widow of Joseph Rose. She died suddenly at Morristown, NJ in the 87th year of her age. Her funeral was to be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan on 28 October at 11 am. Directions to take the train from New York were provided.

Aberdeen Transit Village Lot Cleared

The future Transit Village lot at Harrison Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, next to the Aberdeen-Matawan train station, is finally cleared. Over the last few months the construction crews have come in and leveled the old factory, sorted and chopped up the debris and hauled it away. Above is a shot of what the lot looked like a few months ago before the demolition, courtesy of Google Street View.

And this is what it looks like now.  

Below is some video of the final demo work.

Nice to see this long awaited project getting off the dime at last.

Local Dates to Remember - September/October 2014

Mark the following dates in your calendar:

• Aberdeen Day - 13 Sep 2014
• Old Bridge Day - 20 Sep 2014
• Matawan Day - 11 Oct 2014 (rain date 12 Oct 2014)
• Keyport Screamin' Country Jamboree - 11-12 Oct 2014

Salt Water Day in Old Bridge and the Spanish American Festival in Keyport took place yesterday. Salt Water Day was able to return after the boardwalk, damaged in Superstorm Sandy, was repaired.

Cliffwood Avenue Construction Update

The construction crew has carved out the framework for an additional lane for northbound Cliffwood Avenue on the Cliffwood Beach side of the Route 35 intersection. The new lane will run from the traffic light to just past Sweetbriar Street.

The above Google Street View image is a useful Before image, probably from a few months ago. The cut away for the new lane goes as far as the telephone pole next to the light blue house in the image, leaving the nearby tree's roots exposed. Workers were up on a cherry picker on Saturday morning at the intersection, perhaps moving power or telephone lines.

The new lane matches work done last month on Cliffwood Avenue along the A&P Shopping Center side of the road. The shopping center has lost a good bit of the grassy margin, all the way up to the shrubs.

Presumably this new lane will make traversing this intersection a bit easier next school session.

History: Green Tree Inn, Freneau (1934)

The 31 Aug 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the opening on 1 Sep 1934 of the Green Tree Inn at the corner of upper Main Street and Mill Road in Freneau, in the location once occupied by the Monmouth Inn and Green Pump Inn. (Thomas Welstead's leasing of the Monmouth Inn to be operated as the Green Tree Inn was mentioned briefly in The Matawan Journal of 24 Aug 1934.)

Thomas Welstead Takes Over Monmouth Inn

Thomas Welstead, commander of Matawan Post 176 of the American Legion, has taken over the Monmouth Inn on upper Main Street in the Borough of Matawan and it will be known as the Green Tree Inn.

Mr Welstead has completely redecorated the interior and has arranged all plans for a gala opening tomorrow night. A special steak dinner will be served; the widely-known Penn's Pennsylvanians have been engaged to furnish the dance music and entertainment. There will be no cover or minimum charge and the management is prepared to take care of a large crowd. (pg 1 col 3)

Another Retail Liquor License Granted Here by Boro Council

Another alcoholic beverage license was granted Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Matawan in Borough Hall. Thomas G Welstead, proprietor of the Arrowhead Garage, Main Street near Valley Drive, by unanimous action was voted a license to sell for consumption on the premises at the Green Tree Inn, formerly known as Farry's Monmouth Inn and the Green Pump Inn, corner Main Street and Mill Road in the Freneau section. . . .  (pg 1 col 6)

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I did some research on the ownership of the property at the corner of Mill Road and Route 79 and was able to trace its names back almost 135 years. There are some loose ends, which I hope to sort out over time. For now, here is a reverse chronological listing of the names I've found and some evidence from The Matawan Journal.

Brass Rail Bar and Grill  (2009 - )

The Brass Rail is located at 89 Main Street, variation 89 Freneau Avenue, variation 89 Route 79, in Freneau or Matawan, NJ.

Comeback Inn featuring the Dugout Bar (2007)

The 6 Jun 2007 edition of The Independent has a story about the bar's reopening.

Poet's Inn (1961 - ?)

The grand opening of the Poet's Inn took place on 28 Dec 1961.

Charlie's Matawan Inn (1948 - 1961)

Charlie Messina held the grand opening of Charlie's Matawan Inn under new management on 2 Jul 1948, according to the above ad in the 1 Jul 1948 edition of The Matawan Journal.

 The 5 May 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal included the above ad for Charlie's Matawan Inn.

Charles Messina applied for a liquor license for Charlie's Matawan Inn, according to a public notice in the 22 Jun 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Charles Messina applied for renewal of his liquor license for Charlie's Matawan Inn, according to a public notice in the 16 Jun 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Closed? (1939 - 1948)

Matawan Inn (c 1936 - 1939)

The 19 Jan 1939 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Matawan Inn had suspended operations and was now closed. The liquor license had been issued to Christopher Daly but the establishment had been operated by his brother, a former Staten Island resident.

Green Tree Inn (c 1934 - 1936)

The Green Tree Inn was mentioned in The Matawan Journal from 1934 to 1936.

A connection between Green Tree and Mrs Rosa Bergen, a prominent socialite and member of Democratic Women in the borough and the county, appeared in 1935. She died in 1958.

 The 30 Aug 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal included the above ad for Rosa Bergen's Food Shop at the Green Tree Inn.

The 8 Nov 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal included an ad for Rosa Bergen's Food Shop at the Green Tree Inn encouraging patrons to secure their Thanksgiving reservations.

The 14 Feb 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 6 col 2) mentioned an event held at the Green Tree Inn.

The 30 Jul 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that Thomas Welstead was refused a liquor license for a new location for several reasons - petitions received from local residents, lack of precedent for having a licensed tavern in that vicinity, and the danger to the driving public of having a tavern located on Route 34 at Route 4/Route 9.

Monmouth Inn (1926 - c 1932)

I found mentions of the Monmouth Inn in The Matawan Journal from 1926 to 1932.

The 3 Dec 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that John Farry, formerly of Matawan but currently of New York, had purchased the Green Pump Inn. Farry would winter in Florida and take possession of the restaurant on 1 March 1927. 

The proprietor of the Monmouth Inn was identified as John H Farry in the 17 Jun 1927 edition.

Green Pump Inn (c 1923 - 1926)

The earliest mention I could find of the Green Pump Inn was in the 23 Nov 1923 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The 6 Nov 1925 edition contained the above advertisement for the Dickson Green Pump Inn, a tea and chop shop. A society page piece reported that the Green Pump Inn's owner, James Dickson, was enjoying a visit from his father, Frederick W Dickson, of Brooklyn.

The 18 Jun 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the obituary of Mrs Helen Potts-Hall. The obituary reported that she had purchased the Mount Pleasant Hotel (presumably the Freneau Hotel?). She renovated it as a tea house and opened it under the name Green Pump Inn. She found the work too arduous for her liking, so about 1925 she sold it on contract (presumably to James Dickson), but that contract has since been forfeited. She lived much of her life with her brother, Frank G Potts.

The above ad appeared in the 23 Jul 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Freneau Hotel (1921)

"Around Matawan and Aberdeen" mentioned that the location of the Poet's Inn served as a hotel under various names: Matawan Inn, Freneau Hotel, Mount Pleasant Hotel and Applegate's Hotel among them.

The 13 Jan 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal mentions the Freneau Hotel several times.

Applegate's Hotel (c 1907 - c 1920)

"Around Matawan and Aberdeen" mentioned that the location of the Poet's Inn served as a hotel under various names: Matawan Inn, Freneau Hotel, Mount Pleasant Hotel and Applegate's Hotel among them.

The 22 Nov 1917 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that taxes would be collected at J E Applegate's Hotel in Freneau on 17 December.

The 1920 Federal Census showed Jacob E Applegate, 49 NJ, to be the owner and keeper of a hotel enumerated on Freehold Turnpike in Matawan Township. Jacob was living in the household of his widowed mother-in-law, Lou Hartenstein, 60 NJ. Also in the household was Jacob's wife, Lou Hartenstein's daughter,  Elizabeth (Hartenstein) Applegate, 37 NJ; and Jacob and Elizabeth's children John Applegate, 11 NJ, and Elizabeth Applegate, 7 NJ. Also in the household was Sarah Applegate, 34 NJ, but I couldn't read the relationship.

The 1910 Federal Census showed Elmer Applegate, 39 NJ, to be running a hotel on Freehold Road in Matawan. Also in the household were his wife of 4 years, Elizabeth Applegate, 25 NJ; their son John Applegate, 2 NJ, and widowed boarders Loie Hartenstein, 48 NJ, and Mary Applegait, 88 NJ. (Elmer is obviously Jacob E Applegate's middle name.)

The 1900 Federal Census showed Jacob Applegate, 30 NJ, to be running a hotel in Matawan Township. He was enumerated with his wife of 8 years, Nona Applegate, 25 NJ. She had borne one child that did not survive. Two boarders were enumerated in the household, one being a bartender.

Mount Pleasant Hotel (c 1880 - c 1907)

"Around Matawan and Aberdeen" mentioned that the location of the Poet's Inn served as a hotel under various names: Matawan Inn, Freneau Hotel, Mount Pleasant Hotel and Applegate's Hotel among them.

The 31 Jan 1880 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 2) carried the above ad offering the Mt Pleasant Hotel for sale or lease.

An 1892 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that an ox roast and jollification had taken place at the Mt Pleasant Hotel on Tuesday afternoon and was well attended. Food was free; drink was not. I found this article memorialized in the 9 Dec 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal, reporting what had been in the paper 40 years earlier.

The 1900 Federal Census showed Loie Hartenstein, 42 NJ, living in Montclair, NJ with husband Edward Hartenstein, 42 CT, operator of a hotel. In their household was niece Sarah Applegate, 12 NJ.

The 30 Jan 1902 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that pigeon shooting contests were in vogue at the Mount Pleasant Hotel.

"Shooting at Pigeons - Interest in pigeon shooting is being revived in this vicinity and several matches have recently been shot at the Mt. Pleasant Hotel. Last Thursday Dr. Bogardus outshot H L Bennett, both of Keyport, the score being l 9-14. A team match between Werner and Johnson and Abe Morris and Richard Gill was won by the former, 6-5. . . . "

The 16 May 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that Mrs Loie Hartenstein had been granted a renewal of her license for the Mt Pleasant Hotel. Note: Loie Hartenstein's relationship to the hotel in Freneau in 1907 was as the owner's mother-in-law. She obviously had some management responsibilities, perhaps because of her previous experience in hostelry from Montclair. Her daughter Elizabeth married Jacob Applegate about 1906. Jacob likely was widowed when he remarried.

The 12 Dec 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Matawan Township tax collector would be meeting tax payers at Harvey Stillwaggon's Hotel in Cliffwood on 10 December; the Mt Pleasant Hotel in Freneau on 11 December; the Aberdeen Hotel in Matawan on 12 December; P Sullivan's Hotel in Oak Shades on 13 December; and Township Hall on 20 December.

Applegate's Hotel (1874)

The 20 Jun 1874 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned Applegate's Hotel but didn't provide a location. This may not have been in Freneau.

Watch for Church Street Detour 28-29 July 2014

Monmouth County will be repaving Church Street between Broad and Atlantic (past Aberdeen Town Hall) 7 am to 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday 28 - 29 July 2014, according to The Atlantic Highlands Herald, which routinely publishes county press releases for some reason.

You can best avoid this local hotspot by taking Main to Route 34 to Lloyd Road or Lower Main to Clark St to Lloyd Road. Also keep in mind that Little Street crosses Lake Matawan to join Broad and Atlantic.

UPDATE: The county would be conducting this work for Thursday 31 July and Friday 1 August 2014, according to a township alert on Wednesday. 

Cliffwood Beach Park

It might be a good idea to put up some barriers to keep people from driving anywhere they want inside the Cliffwood Beach park. I saw three vehicles drive from the Whale Creek entrance, across no man's land and off the curb to the parking lot. And you can see from the photograph above that some people are having fun making ruts in the grass after it rains. A little investment in guard rails might do the trick.

The edge of Whale Creek has become a Skidoo launch and playground. There are always pick up trucks and jet ski enthusiasts at creekside. People have a right to have fun, no doubt, but they shouldn't be oblivious to nature around them. Loud partying, blasting radios, revving jet ski engines and shooting spray in the creek are making a nearby nesting pair of osprey very nervous. The level of activity seems more appropriate for the bay.

After last week's annual extralegal fireworks extravaganza at the beach, I'm surprised the osprey have stuck around.

Aberdeen-Matawan CERT Settles in at Haley Fire House

The Aberdeen-Matawan Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) held its 9 July 2014 meeting at its new home, the M E Haley Fire House, 4 Cross Road in Matawan. Herb Caravella is doing a great job as the team's coordinator. The group has over 40 members now and has been assisting the local police at call outs and scheduled events like parades. They work with the fire department, too, such as the recent municipal fireworks in Matawan and Aberdeen.

CERT members are expected to participate in events, attend meetings and receive training. Training is a priority -- Wednesday night the team learned the proper use of walkie-talkies to communicate. Upcoming events for the team include the National Night Out, Aberdeen Day, the Keyport 5k Run, and Matawan Day.

For more information, check the Aberdeen-Matawan CERT Facebook page. You can reach Herb about membership at 732-583-4200 ext 799 or herb.caravella@aberdeennj.org.

Wind Storm - 8 July 2014

Strong winds brought down a tree across Aberdeen Road just west of Matawan Avenue. Lights went out in the Strathmore Lanes section of that shopping center. The lights are out in the A&P shopping center lot. Small branches are everywhere. The traffic light at Atlantic and Route 34 was blinking yellow and red.

History: Cliffwood Beach Club Adds 200 Bungalows at Treasure Lake (1926)

The 19 Mar 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal included this front page article about the addition of 200 small bungalows near Treasure Lake for Cliffwood Beach Club owners to use. The developer -- Morrisey & Walker -- borrowed this trendy vacation idea from the West Coast. These small "bungalets," which were built only 100 feet from the bay, were all destroyed in Hurricane Donna in 1960.

NEW INNOVATION AT CLIFFWOOD BEACH

"DIVIDED HOTEL” IDEA OF THE WEST COAST INTRODUCED.

One Hundred Fifty One-Room Bungalets and Fifty Two-Room Structures Completed This Week.

Work will be completed this week on a unique bungalow's colony being constructed for thc Cliffwood Beach Club near Treasure Lake, Cllffwood Beach. The development consists of  150 one-room bungalets and 50 two-room structures adapted from the "divided hotel” plan in successful operation on the Catalina Islands and other Pacific Coast resorts.

Charles W. Morrisey, president of Morrisey & Walkcr, Inc., developers of Cliffwood Beach, and an organizer of the Cliffwood Beach Club, in announcing the approaching completion of the building operations, declared that the demand for large houses has shown a steady diminution during the last few years along the shore.

The Cliffwood Beach Club, he continued, has endeavored to keep abreast of the vacation trend by the erection of "bungalets," as they are known on the coast, which will be managed on the lines of a hotel from a central administration building.

Occupancy of the bungalets will be limited to members of the club, which will have a maximum roster of 200 families, who will be required to furnish adequate business and social references. Registrations for the single rooms wlll be limited to four and for the two-room structures to six persons.

The houses are of frame 10x20 feet, and are located 100 feet from the shore. Particular attention has been paid to sanitary provisions and there will be daily garbage collections.Water and electricity for lighting and cooking will be provided. Each bungalet is sufficiently distant from its neighbor to insure a maximum of privacy.

Members of the Club, in addition to occupylng rooms in the "divided hotel," will also have access to playgrounds, tennis courts, boating facilities on Treasure Lake, a private beach and band concerts.

If the Innovation proves as successful in the East as it has on the Pacific Coast, Mr. Morrisey said it is probable it will be extended to other parts of the north Jersey shore.

Morrisey & Walker, Inc, the developers of this bungalow colony, is the largest seashore realty organization in New Jersey. The firm has successful developments at Cliffwood Beach, Shark River Hills, Asbury Park, West End, Belmar, Keansburg and Laurence Harbor. This firm has offices at 951 Broad Street, Newark, N. J„ three offices in Asbury Park, one on Cookman Avenue and two on the boardwalk, the famous Pirate ship at Cliffwood Beach known all over thc country, and at Keansburg and Laurence Harbor.

Osprey Watch

  

Above is a video about a nesting pair of osprey on the Potomac River south of Old Town Alexandria. The video provides a good primer on osprey identification as well as nesting and feeding behaviors.

There are two active nests in Cliffwood Beach at the moment, in case you want to see osprey in action. The nests in nearby Keyport have vanished, probably due to Superstorm Sandy. I think the nest above Union Beach Police Department is active, based on the comments about pooping birds from the staff there. I've not checked out the nests in Laurence Harbor or Cheesequake yet.

If the weather cooperates, I plan an outing this weekend to find the reported nest off Wilson Avenue in Matawan. It seems to be along the Hudson Trail by the power station.

Check out my page at Osprey Watch for locations of these and other nests in our area. I've posted directions and photographs and Osprey Watch provides maps. You can register from their home page to become an osprey watcher yourself. I welcome additional watcher reports and photos. The breed is starting to thrive again after some difficult years, so please don't disturb them. We all hope for a successful nesting season. And be sure to donate to Osprey Watch if you're able.

UPDATE: After dinner at MJ's Sports Bar on Route 34, where we watched the Brazil v Colombia World Cup match and a bit of the Yankees v Twins game, I took my wife over to Wilson Avenue to locate the osprey nest near the Hudson Trail. Turns out there is an active nest atop the huge -- I mean really tall -- communications tower at the JCP&L Wilson Avenue sub-station.

Steps For Joe

Over 600 people came together today at Matawan Regional High School for a fundraiser to help a student named Joe Ahmed get treatment for Stage IV Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive bone cancer.

Marchers walked a circuit from MRHS down Atlantic to Little, across the bridge, then a right on Broad, a walk along the lake, a left on Main at the doughboy in the park, a left on Little and a right on Atlantic back to the school. This water stop got creative with the arrangement of the cups.

The event was organized by Tim Makalinao and Adam Elliott and assisted by officials of the township and borough. CERT assisted with traffic control.

Joe's treatment is experimental and very expensive. You can still donate online at Steps for Joe.

History: Cat 'n Fiddle, Cliffwood Beach (1927 - 1969)

The Cat 'n Fiddle Restaurant opened on a boardwalk on the Raritan Bay not long after the Cliffwood Beach community was first developed. It provided food, drink and entertainment by the shore for over thirty years. It was destroyed by a hurricane and was never rebuilt. Below are a selection of articles from The Matawan Journal marking its history.

The 1 Jul 1927 edition of The Matawan Journal had two small advertisements for the Cat 'n Fiddle placed throughout the paper, seven in all.  One recommended "When dancing at the Cliffwood Beach Casino, dine at the new seafood restaurant and cafeteria 'The Cat 'n Fiddle,' on the boardwalk. Reasonable prices." Another announced the new place and recommended the shore dinner at $1.50. It also named the music group playing on Sunday evening 3 July as the "famous Marimba Band from Central America, now the talk of New York."

The 28 Jun 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 4) included a small ad referring to the Cat 'n Fiddle as "Jersey's smartest rendezvous." The ad invited customers to "dine and dance on the water's edge. Perfect dinners 55 cents. Cocktails 25 cents, served on Cocktail Porch overlooking the sea. Dancing Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Owens Brothers Orchestra from 7 pm to 1 am." An ad on page 9 announced, "Richard Jennings, manager of the Cat 'n Fiddle, will again supervise the service. Several bridge luncheons have been scheduled for this week. Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening a dance orchestra appears."

The 29 Jun 1944 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1, col 8) included a small advertisement for the Cat 'n Fiddle, which would reopen under new management on 30 Jun 1944. "Choice liquors and food at reasonable prices. No cover. No minimum. No tax."

The 14 Jun 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal contained a public notice by the following persons, as representatives of the Krieg Corporation, doing business as the Cat 'n Fiddle, who were seeking a liquor license in Matawan Township: William E Webster, Jr, President, 1250 Shore Concourse, Cliffwood Beach, NJ; R Edgerton Webster, Vice President, Jamesburg, NJ; Isabel F Webster, Secretary-Treasurer, 1250 Shore Concourse, Cliffwood Beach, NJ; and Cliffwood Beach Amusements, Inc, Cliffwood Beach, NJ.

The 26 May 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 5) ran an article announcing the opening of The Cat 'n Fiddle for the summer season. "Ray and his Jazz Bandits will be featured this summer at The Cat 'n Fiddle, in Cliffwood Beach, which will open this coming Saturday. Frank Cerranty will be at the bar and also will be manager of the establishment. The Cat 'n Fiddle is located on the Raritan Bay beachfront and it has been in operation for 25 years. It is owned by Morrisey and Walker, and is one mile from the Pirate Ship. There is a large parking area and reasonable prices will prevail for snacks and refreshments." The large ad above appeared on page 13.

The 15 Sep 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 3) provided the following excerpted reporting on damage caused by Hurricane Donna at Cliffwood Beach on Monday 12 September.

"Bayfront areas of Matawan Township took a battering from Hurricane Donna, especially in sections bordering Matawan Creek and in portions of Cliffwood Beach. During the worst of the hurricane, water was nine to 10 feet deep in the streets of Cliffwood Bench, police reported.

Damage in the beach area was estimated at more than $150,000. Ten families were evacuated from the waterfront area to the Cliffwood Fire House. Flooding in Cliffwood Beach reached all the way back to Greenwood Ave.

The storm lashed bay waters completely covered the roofs of the 180 unit colony of seacots* facing the bay at Cliffwood Beach and crashed through the rear of the Cat 'n Fiddle Restaurant, splitting the building in two. Police were stationed at the restaurant after looting was reported."

* The Seacot Village in Cliffwood Beach in Matawan Township

A seacot was a small summer rental, presumably an abbreviation for "seaside cottage." Helen Henderson shows a photograph of a "cozy seacot" and provides some information on rental prices, etc, on page 87 of her book "Around Matawan and Aberdeen."

An article in the 12 Aug 1948 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 5) mentions the death of a renter by heart attack at the Cliffwood Beach Seacot Colony.

The 6 May 1965 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1) published the rates for seacots to hook up to the Cliffwood water supply for the season. Units with one water tap paid $8.80/season; it was $17.50 for units with three taps; and renters paid $7.30 for an outside shower.

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The Cat 'n Fiddle was destroyed by fire in December 1963, according to an article in the 16 Dec 1963 edition of The Red Bank Register.

The 2 Jul 1964 edition of The Matawan Journal reported the opening of the Cat 'n Fiddle for the season on 2 Jul 1964. The restaurant was apparently rebuilt after the December 1963 fire.

The 27 Jan 1966 edition of The Matawan Journal, which reported on a Nor'easter that struck the area on Sunday 23 Jan 1966, mentioned the Cat 'n Fiddle and seacots in a photo caption on the front page. The captionn read, in part:

"Driven by gale force northeasterly winds Sunday, waters of Raritan Bay overflowed the banks of Matawan Creek, flooding marinas and fishing stations along the way. The Cliffwood Beach section of Matawan Township was hard hit as water swept by the Seacot Colony, Cat 'N Fiddle Restaurant, and the Cliffwood Beach Pool. One woman, wife of the caretaker at the pool, had to be rescued by first aid men equipped with a boat. . . ."

The 10 Aug 1967 edition and 24 Aug 1967 edition of The Matawan Journal (pp 2 and 10, resp) contained an advertisement for the Cat 'n Fiddle, which was under new management. Hours were daily noon to 1 am; Saturday 10 am to 1 am. The Harry Thomas Review, featuring Eileen Walsh, was appearing on Fridays and Saturdays.

The 4 Jul 1968 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 12) contained an ad for the Cat 'n Fiddle, which was promoting dancing and entertainment on weekends. Pat and Joe were the hosts.

The 31 Oct 1968 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 16) reports on an investigation of fraud against the owners of the Cat 'n Fiddle.

ABC Sets Hearing For Area Tavern

A hearing will be held Nov. 4 in Newark offices of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control into charges against the Kreig Corp., owners of the Cat 'N Fiddle in Cliffwood Beach, of giving false information on a liquor license application.

The ABC alleges the stock of the corporation is held by three New York state residents. Corporate
officers insist the stock is in the hands of New Jersey residents as stated on its June 5, 1968 license application.

The 23 Jan 1969 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1) announced the state's revocation of the Kreig Corp's liquor license to operate the Cat 'n Fiddle due to the fraud charges.

 Details of the demolition of the bar and seacot colony have yet to be found.

UPDATED to add an image of the Dec 1963 Red Bank Register article, some details about seacots, details from the Jan 1966 Nor'easter article, news of new ownership in Aug 1967, and word of fraud charges in Oct 1968 that led to the revocation of the liquor license in Jan 1969.

College Job at Midland Glass

Author Penelope Marzec has an article on her blog about her college days summer job at the Midland Glass factory in Cliffwood. She talks briefly about the pay, working conditions and how many of her neighbors in Cliffwood Beach worked at the plant. She links to my articles about the plant, which is how I stumbled on her piece today.

After college, Penelope became a teacher and is now an award-winning fiction writer. Check out her books and consider following her blog.