History: State Route 35 South at GSP Exit 117 in October 1956

My wife came across this interesting video from the Jack Kirby Archives showing a driver exiting the Garden State Parkway at Exit 117 on 6 October 1956. He headed south on Route 35, turned right on Bethany Road, then made a left into a new housing development under construction in Holmdel.

I've made a timeline of this short video and added some stills from the video. Although I've been careful, I'm sure I've omitted some observations and made some mistakes. I'd be interested in your additions and corrections.

• 0:10 Garden State Parkway Exit 117; Sign: Matawan/Keyport
• 0:22 Sign: Keyport/Keansburg (left arrow); Middletown (right arrow); Keyport water tower in distance
• 0:26 Merged onto Route 35 South - view in distance of Route 35 North overpass

0:29 Sign; Route 35 N visible in background

• 0:29 Sign: Red Bank/Asbury Park (right arrow); Keansburg/Atlantic Highlands (left arrow)
• 0:31 Signs: Route 35 (right arrow); Route 36 (left arrow); tall, narrow sign across the highway, illegible
• 0:33 Beers Street intersection on right?

0:36 Turn in road before current Home Depot

• 0:35 Turn in roadway approaching entrance to current Home Depot; Sign: Briarcliff Homes 
• 0:37 Sign: Route 35 Red Bank/Eatontown/Asbury Park
• 0:38 Sign: Old Manor Estates

0:38 View of Route 35 S heading towards Holmdel Road

• 0:40 Sign: Split Rock Estates, Turn Right; downslope heading towards Holmdel Road

0:44 Dutch Motel; unidentified restaurant

• 0:44 Signs: Esso (right); Dutch Motel (right); restaurant (right); Texaco (left)
• 0:45 At Holmdel Road & Route 35

0:46 Old Manor Estates sign; Sunoco garage

• 0:46 Sign: Old Manor Estates, Turn Here, from $14,990
• 0:48 Sunoco garage

0:52 Restaurant with airplane on roof; steaks and chops

• 0:52 Restaurant with airplane on roof near roadway; sells steaks and chops; possibly nearing Hazlet Avenue intersection

• 0:58 Signs: Foxwood Homes (right); Molly Pitcher Inn (left, in distance)
• 1:00 Sign: Turn right at Bethany Road

1:03 Fitzgerald's Green Acres Bar

• 1:03 Fitzgerald's Green Acres Bar
• 1:07 Sign: Raritan Ridge, left turn
• 1:08 Sign: Old Manor Estates, Holmdel Township, 200 Feet Turn Right

1:11 Farm stand and truck

• 1:11 Farm stand, possibly Casola Farms; old truck has an illegible business identified on side
• 1:14 Bethany Road

1:19 Bethany Road railroad crossing, looking southwest

• 1:19 Bethany Road railroad crossing
• 1:25 Bethany Road at intersection with Telegraph Hill Road (on left)
• 1:31 Old Manor Estates model homes on left and right side of Bethany Road; parking area  on right

1:39 Bethany Road approaching construction site

• 1:39 Bethany Road - approaching Old Manor Estates construction site
• 1:46 Bethany Road - major construction site
• 1:56 Bethany Road - Newly built Old Manor Estates homes

Notes:

FITZGERALD'S GREEN ACRES BAR

The 18 Mar 1981 edition of The Bayshore Independent contains the obituary of Frank G Havey, of Hazlet, who moved to the area in 1958 and worked as manager at Fitzgerald's Green Acres Bar for eight years.

SGT PEPPER'S CLUB

The restaurant with the airplane on the roof was originally called Hazlet Lunch and was operated by Bill Kahlert, according to Hazlet Township, pp 12-13, by William B Longo. Kahlert was a pilot and owned his own plane. A plane was added to the roof at one point and the restaurant became a local landmar,, according to Longo, who said the luncheonette closed in the early 1970s and reopened as a disco later that decade. (Check out Longo's old photos, post cards)

A Keyport Facebook group consensus was that Hazlet Lunch later became known as Sergeant Pepper's and then The Red Barron, burning to the ground sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The group said it was located where the Midas service center is situated today, near the Hazlet Fairgrounds and the Buhler automobile dealership.

The 29 Aug 1979 edition of the Bayshore Independent (pg 2)  reported on the 24 Aug 1979 fire that destroyed Sgt Pepper's Club on the eve of its reopening. Heat lamps being used to dry a new coat of polyurethane on the bar caused the fire, according to officials. The roof caved in and the airplane fell inside the burning structure. The club, which operated for two years as Sgt Pepper's, operated as a go-go bar during the day and a rock-n-roll club at night. It had been closed for two months due to ABC violations related to the go-go bar. It had previously been called The Hangar, The Red Baron, and The Hazlet Lunch. The owner planned to rebuild.

25 Mar 2016 Note: Timeline of video has been edited above based on feedback in comments below.

Texas Roadhouse Steak Restaurant Coming to Holmdel in October 2014

UPDATE: Texas Roadhouse Steak Restaurant comes to Holmdel in October 2014, according to the chain's New Locations web page as of August 2014. It will be located next to Chili's, in the place where Macaroni Grill used to be.

Below is my original article, researching what would be built.

-----------------------------

The old Romano's Macaroni Grill building at 2105 Route 35 in Holmdel has been torn down, leaving Chili's standing alone with a large fenced construction area next door.

You may recall that Macaroni Grill closed a while ago and a hibachi place was supposed to open in the space. There were unexplained delays, signs in the window, and then Superstorm Sandy put a serious dent in the empty restaurant's infrastructure and that was that. No hibachi place ever materialized.

The new construction has been marked out on the ground and something is apparently to be erected in the next couple of months. The Holmdel-Hazlet Patch published a 2 December 2013 article saying that a Texas Roadhouse steak restaurant would be opening in this spot in July 2014. (Texas Roadhouse has a new locations web page, and I didn't see a listing for a new Holmdel location as pending.)

Holmdel Mayor Patrick Impreveduto bragged in a 16 January 2014 article in The Independent that the new Texas Roadhouse restaurant opening would help the Route 35 corridor revitalization project. He attributed the new restaurant to a reworking of local commercial development standards in 2013, including changes to zoning classifications and height restrictions, that have attracted commercial developers.

Texas Roadhouse obtained its alcohol license in 2013 from a holding company that had sold the license in 2011 - likely to the hibachi restaurant - but got it back due to the buyer's bankruptcy. Holmdel Township renewed the inactive license in June 2014 while construction of the restaurant was still underway, according to local online paperwork.

History: Henry E Ackerson (1880 - 1970) Clears Legal Hurdles for Matawan to Create Artificial Lakes (1915)

The 20 May 1915 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that New Jersey State Senator Henry E Ackerson, Jr, introduced a bill in Trenton that would allow municipalities to build and maintain artificial lakes in their communities. Matawan's legal counsel Elmer H Geran helped draft the bill, apparently with Lake Matawan and Lake Lefferts in mind.

Henry Elijah Ackerson was born on a dairy farm in Holmdel, NJ on 15 Oct 1880, son of Cornelius and Anna B (Stillwell) Ackerson. (He was the namesake of his paternal grandfather, which should have made him Henry II, not Henry, Jr.) About 1890, the family moved to Raritan (Keyport), where Henry graduated from Raritan High School.

In the 1900 Federal Census, Cornelius had a job as a bank cashier and sons Henry (19) and Cecil (12) were in school. (Henry's obituary said Henry briefly clerked at People's National Bank in Keyport.) Henry graduated New York University Law School in 1902 and passed the New Jersey bar in 1904. Cornelius was still at the bank in the 1910 Federal Census, and his sons were both lawyers in his Keyport household.

Henry married Edith D Calef about 1912. Edith was born in Connecticut to Connecticut parents, and  she bore sons Cornelius and Calef in her home state. Henry was tied to New Jersey, so it seems unlikely they were living there. This suggests that Edith delivered her children at her parents' home in Connecticut.

Henry served in the NJ Senate (1915 - 1919), according to the NJ Historical Society Biography Index.

He was appointed to the newly-created Court of Errors and Appeals in 1919, according to his obituary. The 1920 Federal Census showed Henry and Edith with sons Cornelius (7 CT) and Calef (3 CT). Henry was listed as a judge in the court of errors in that record.

Their son Calef D Ackerson (1916 - 1920) died soon after the 1920 census and was buried at Holmdel Cemetery, according to Find A Grave.

Henry was appointed to the Hudson County Circuit Court in 1924 and served there until 1948. The 1930 Federal Census listed him as a judge in the circuit court. He and his wife, Edith (44 CT) were living in Keyport with their son Cornelius (17 CT) and Edith's mother, Laura Calef.

When he registered for the World War II draft in 1942, Henry was working for the "New Jersey Court House" at the "Hudson County Court House" in Jersey City. He was 61 years old and living at 116 Maple Place in Keyport with his wife Edith.

Henry served on the NJ State Supreme Court (1948 - 1952), according to his obituary and the NJ Historical Society Biography Index.

After his retirement from the court, Henry served as a Rutgers University trustee until his death. As chairman of the law school committee for 15 years, Henry spearheaded the building of a modern structure on the Newark campus dedicated to the study of law. What became known as Ackerson Hall served as the home of the Rutgers School of Law from 1965 to 1979, according to a 2008 centennial history of the law school. The building currently houses the Rutgers University College of Nursing.

Henry also served on the board of governors of Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for nearly two decades and was honorary vice president of the board at the time of his death.

Henry died on 9 December 1970 at the Arnold Walter Nursing Home in Holmdel, according to his obituary in the 11 Dec 1970 edition of The Red Bank Register. His final arrangements were handled by Bedle Funeral Home and his funeral was conducted on 13 December 1970 at the Reformed Church in Keyport. He left son Cornelius and grandson Henry E Ackerson, III.

Henry's wife, Edith (1885 - 1969)  predeceased him a year earlier. She was buried at Holmdel Cemetery in Holmdel, NJ.

Henry, his brother Cecil (1887 - 1963), and their parents Cornelius (1852 - 1921) and Anna (1852 - 1929) are all buried at Holmdel Cemetery in Holmdel, NJ.

History: Dr Carl Gesswein, Matawan Physician (1881 - 1956)

Charles Albert "Carl" Gesswein was a prominent medical doctor with an office at the corner of Church and Main Streets and a home at 205 Main Street in Matawan for many years. He born on 30 May 1881, in Canton, Ohio, married Bessie Morrow about 1906, and died on 19 Mar 1956 at Riverview Hospital in Red Bank after a long illness.

In the 1881 Canton City Directory, Carl's father Gustave L Gesswein was foreman at the Diebold Safe and Lock Co and lived at 148 South Cherry Street in Canton. In a separate section of the directory, G Gesswein was listed as the 4th Ward's member of the school board. His term of office was due to expire in 1890.

Gustave appeared in the 1888-1889, 1889-1890, and 1891-1892 Canton City Directories.

Carl was a student living with his parents, Gustave J and Mary Gesswein, at 506 Bucher, Canton, OH, in the 1896 Canton City Directory. Carl's sister Laura was in the same household; she was working as a bookkeeper at the co-op grocery. His sister Rose was also there, listed as a stenographer.

Carl was a student living with his parents, Gustave and Marie Gesswein, in Hamilton, OH in the 1900 Federal Census. His father, who was born in Sep 1850 in Germany and came to the US five years later, was superintendent of a safe manufacturer in Hamilton, OH. Home to three major safe companies, Hamilton was considered the Safe Capital of the World at the time. Carl's mother was born in Feb 1856 in the portion of Virginia that would become West Virginia; her father was born in Germany and mother in Switzerland. Gustav and Marie were married about 1877 and had four children, one of which had died by 1900.

The 1900 Hamilton City Directory showed Gustave as Superintendent of the Mosler Safe Company, Grand Boulevard, East Hamilton. Their residence was at 229 North 7th Street in Hamilton. Carl was a clerk at Mosler. Gustave's wife was Mary A Gesswein. Carl's sisters Laura and Rose were in the household but listed no occupations.

Carl was a student in the 1902 Hamilton City Directory. Laura was a stenographer, while the other details above remained the same.

Carl was a medical student in the 1904 Hamilton City Directory. The other details above remained the same.

Carl finished undergraduate work at the University of Cincinnati, then medical school at the University of Illinois, Urbana, according to his obituary. He opened a medical office in Plainfield, NJ in 1904.

Carl married Bessie Morrow about 1906. Bessie and her fraternal twin, Jesse Morrow, were born in Oct 1879, children of John and Ada Morrow, according to the 1900 Federal Census. The family lived in Hamilton, OH, where John was a salesman. The twins were born in Seven Mile, OH, according to Bessie's obituary, which showed her name as Bessie Hudson Morrow. Her burial record and Carl's obituary both showed her maiden name as Hudson, but the Hudson connection was not obvious. John and Ada had been married 29 years in the 1900 Census and the children showed Pennsylvania parental birth places, matching John and Ada.

Carl and Bessie were enumerated at 102 Central Avenue in Plainfield, NJ in the 1910 Federal Census. He was a doctor with his own office. He and Bessie had been married for four years at the time.

Carl appeared with a business listing in the 1912 Plainfield City Directory. He was a physician with hours 8 - 10 am, 1 - 3 pm, and 7 - 8 pm. His residence was at 102 Central Avenue in Plainfield, NJ. His phone was 730-J. His father Gustave was listed in the household; he was working as a superintendent in Philadelphia. The women were not listed.

Carl was listed with physicians in the 1914, 1915 and 1916 Plainfield City Directories. Each showed his 102 Central Avenue address.

Carl and Bessie moved to Matawan in 1916, according to his obituary. The 14 Dec 1916 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this report:

"Dr. George G. Reynolds has sold his house on Main Street to Dr. Carl A. Gesswein of Plainfield, who, with his wife, moves here to-day. Dr. Gesswein is a graduate of The Chicago College of Physicians and Surgeons, with twelve years' experience of practicing medicine and has had experience as operating surgeon in the Plainfield Hospital."

An advertisement for Dr C A Gesswein appeared in the 1 Nov 1917 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 6, col 5). His office was at the corner of Main and Church Sts, telephone 214, was open early in the morning (7:30 - 9 am), afternoon (1 - 3 pm), and evening (7 - 8:30 pm).

By the time Carl registered for the WWI draft in Sep 1918, he and Bessie were living at 205 Main Street in Matawan. He was of medium height and build with brown hair and grey eyes and was keeping a medical office at 30 Church Street, according to that record.

Carl's parents and two unmarried sisters were living in his 205 Main Street household in the 1920 Federal Census. His father was no longer working. (This record, in contrast to the 1900 record above, says that Gustave emigrated to the US in 1870 and was naturalized in 1875. And Marie's parents were both born in Switzerland in this record.) Carl's sister Laura was a secretary at the Episcopal church.

Carl and Bessie's household at 205 Main Street in the 1930 Federal Census included his parents, his sister Laura, and Bessie's sister's daughter Lillian Kenny. Lillian was a nurse in an office, presumably Carl's medical office.

Carl's parents went to Germany and spent several weeks there in the early fall of 1930, according to an Oct 1930 article reprised in the 1 Oct 1970 edition of The Matawan Journal. The article revealed that Gustav held the title of Justice of the Peace.

The doctor hit the news in 1930 when he recommended testing the water in Lake Matawan for toxins.

In Jun 1931, Carl took Bessie and their niece Lillian Kenny to Philadelphia, where he attended the convention of the American Medical Association, according to a history article in the 17 Jun 1971 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Bessie hosted the Matawan Women's Club at her home to hear the Mayor Edward Currie speak on municipal management, according to the 25 Nov 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1, col 3). (Her  attendance in the early 1950s at a Former Presidents of the New Jersey Federation of Women's Clubs suggests that she served as president of the Matawan Women's Club at some point.)

Bessie hosted the Wednesday Afternoon Bridge Club at her home, according to the 25 Jul 1935 edition of The Red Bank Register.

Carl maintained a flower garden on the lot where Daniel B Strong had a store for many years, according to the 16 Aug 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal. (You can also see the text of the 1935 article at History of Singer Sewing Machines in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties in his blog.)

The 1940 Federal Census showed Carl and Bessie hosting his unwed sister Laura and an adult niece named Lillian Kenny at their 205 Main Street residence. Lillian was a technician, office assistant.

Carl served on the committee for the annual dance benefit for Riverview hospital, according to the 18 Jul 1940 edition of The Red Bank Register.

Carl's medical office was at 35 Church Street in 1942, according to his WWII draft registration papers.  He and Bessie were at 205 Main Street and their phone number was 214. He was 5'8" tall and 200 lbs with grey hair and had a tattoo on his arm.

During WWII, Carl was chief of emergency medical services of the Matawan Borough Defense Council.

Carl worked on the staff at Monmouth Medical, Riverview and South Amboy hospitals. He served as the school physician for the Matawan Township school district. He also worked in Holmdel Township. He was a former member of the Monmouth County Medical Society.

Carl served on the Board of Directors of Matawan Bank and attained the presidency of the bank, according to his obituary. The 12 Jul 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal had a public notice of the accounts of this bank, showing Carl as president.

Carl was a member of Matawan Lodge #192 F & AM {Free and Accepted Masons}, according to his obituary.

Bessie was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, according to her obituary. She served as President of the Glenwood Mission Band until 1950, according to the 19 Jan 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal. She was also a circle member, among other activities of the church. She was also active in the Matawan branch of the American Red Cross. She is mentioned in this context in the 13 Apr 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Bessie died of a heart attack on 11 Nov 1952 at their home in Matawan, according to the 13 Nov 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal. Her funeral was to be conducted by Rev Chester Galloway of the First Presbyterian Church on 14 Nov 1952, with burial to follow at Old Tennent Cemetery.

Carl resigned as Matawan Township schools physician in Feb 1955 due to illness, according to the 24 Feb 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1, cols 4-5). He also resigned as schools physician in Holmdel, according to the 14 Jul 1955 edition of The Red Bank Register.

Carl's obituary appeared in the 22 Mar 1956 edition of The Matawan Journal, (pp 1, 4). His funeral was conducted by Chester Galloway of the First Presbyterian Church. Burial was on 22 Mar 1956 at Old Tennent Churchyard in Tennent, NJ, according to Find-a-Grave.

Carl left $45,000 and the balance of his estate, minus $30,000 in directed bequests, to Lillian Kenny, his niece, according to the 12 Apr 1956 edition of The Matawan Journal. The bequests went to cousins and nieces as well as his late wife's twin brother.

History: Keansburg Gateway, Palmer Avenue & State Route 35 (1926 - 1958)

With the opening of New Jersey State Highway 35 in the 1920s, tourists driving down from New York City to visit Bayshore beaches were soon taking the Palmer Avenue jughandle as the most direct route to Keansburg and its then-popular beach resort and amusements. Known as the "Keansburg Gateway," this intersection, which spawned numerous "Gateway" business names and even a small community, ironically was not even in Keansburg.

For a time, everything was at or near the Keansburg Gateway. Accidents happened, people lived and died in, businesses relocated to, and even school district maps began at the Keansburg Gateway. But when the Garden State Parkway opened in the 1950s, Exit 117 led beach goers onto State Highway 36 instead, leaving Palmer Avenue out of the picture. Also, Hurricane Donna wreaked havoc on the Bayshore in the mid-1950s. The last reference to the Keansburg Gateway that I could find was in 1958, when Middletown and Holmdel were arguing over whether to split 15% of the cost of a traffic light at the Palmer Avenue/Route 35 intersection. There were more important things for them to spend their money on, the politicians said, so the state paid 85% and the county picked up the remainder.

Palmer Avenue at Route 35 is that confusing intersection where the Target store is currently located. I remember the Middletown movie theater at that corner for many years. The property is up on a hill and has complicated entry and exit points. Cherry Farm Road only adds to the confusion at that intersection.

Below is a sampling of local news articles I found mentioning the Keansburg Gateway between 1926 and 1958. If you know of information specifically related to the origins of the gateway name and its demise, I'd be interested. Drop me a line or add a comment.

------------------------------------------------

The 10 Sep 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal reported the arrest of a Holmdel man at Cherry Tree Farm, near the Keansburg Gateway on the state highway. The man paid a $20 fine, $5 in court costs, and another $200 fine, plus he lost his license for two years, all for driving under the influence.

The 30 May 1928 edition of The Red Bank Register (pg 22 col 4) reported an automobile accident at the Keansburg Gateway.

The 16 Oct 1929 edition of The Red Bank Register included an advertisement for a tradesman's shop called Bergman's, which would henceforth be located at the State Highway and Palmer Avenue, the so-called Keansburg Gateway. Bergman's offered "new and second hand lumber and mill work," "plumbing and roofing," and "sheetrock and paints."

The 17 Jan 1935 edition of The Red Bank Register included reporting on the Middletown Village Civic Association, which said the Keansburg Gateway section of Middletown Township would now be included in the 5 cent bus fare zone.

The 28 May 1936 edition of The Red Bank Register reported a serious car accident that took place on Palmer Avenue near the Keansburg Gateway.

The 29 Jan 1942 edition of The Red Bank Register (pg 12 col 3) provided the precise bounds of Middletown Township School District's No 1, No 2 and No 3.  Keansburg Gateway was the starting and ending point for the description of District No 1.
 

Helen Miller ran a tropical fish store on Route 35 near the Keansburg Gateway, according to an ad in the 9 May 1946 edition of The Red Bank Register. She also had an ad on pg 29 of the 29 Jan 1942 edition (below) and ads on pp 8 and 15 of the 30 Nov 1944 edition.

An obituary in the 20 Feb 1947 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that Mrs Anthony Granata, of Keansburg Gateway Road in Middletown, had recently lost her mother.

The 29 Dec 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 6 col 1) identified members of an upcoming petit jury, including Nadie G Stampler, of Keansburg Gateway.

The 12 May 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned the opening of the Bowl-o-Drome in Middletown near the Keansburg Gateway. (See History: Bowling in Keyport (1954-1955) in this blog for details.)
The 17 Jul 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 3) reported that Holmdel and Middletown couldn't agree to a deal with the State of New Jersey on the installation of a traffic light at the corner of Palmer Avenue and Route 35, even when the two municipalities would be only paying 15% of the cost -- $375 each. The intersection, known as the Keansburg Gateway, would mostly benefit Keansburg, but the traffic light was not in its jurisdiction and Holmdel and Middletown had better things to do with their money. Monmouth County finally stepped in and funded the light.

History: Third Annual Interfaith Concert Includes Five Matawan Choirs (1968)

St John's Methodist Church in Hazlet announced in the 16 May 1968 edition of The Matawan Journal that it would be hosting an interfaith choir concert on Saturday evening 25 May 1968, the area's third annual such concert.

Choirs from the following area worship communities would be participating:

• Cross of Glory Lutheran (Matawan) - choir conductor
• First Baptist (Keyport)
• First Methodist (Matawan)
• First Presbyterian (Matawan)
• St Benedict's (Holmdel)
• St John's Methodist (Hazlet) - organist
• Temple Shalom (Matawan) - pianist, sponsorship
• Trinity Episcopal (Matawan)

The 11 Apr 2013 edition of The Independent announced the latest iteration of this annual event, now called the Interfaith MusicFest. St Joseph's Catholic Church would be hosting it on the evening of 18 May 2013, with choirs from Cross of Glory Lutheran, First Presbyterian, New Light Baptist (Keyport), St Joseph's, Temple Shalom and others. Funds raised would go to support Manna House.

If these have been held annually since 1965, this year would have been the 48th's annual choir concert. Perhaps a special 50th anniversary festival should be held in May 2015?

Hurricane Sandy Update - Election Day 2012

Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) has been restoring power in Hazlet and Keyport, both east of Aberdeen and Matawan, but so far we're still waiting. Rumor is that power is due in the next day or two, but there's no firm information yet. Matawan residents held a big meeting at St Clement's to discuss the power situation, but JCP&L didn't attend so I doubt anything was resolved except to be upset and frustrated. Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach residents are just hunkered down, hoping that rumors of month-long delays in power aren't true.

When you cross Matawan Creek on Route 35 at night heading north, the place is totally dark. Major intersections are uncontrolled. Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach residents not only have no heat or lights, there are no traffic signals. Cliffwood Avenue has cones and signs forcing you to head north several miles to the Morgan drawbridge at Cheesequake Creek, where you can finally make a U-turn. When there was a long line to get gas at the Wawa station at Cliffwood Avenue, I had to exit onto Route 35 North and make a six mile detour to get home. Amboy Avenue intersection is a bit more serious, with two school buses blocking vehicles from crossing Route 35. I guess some folks misbehaved. Suffice it to say that it's super dangerous to cross the highway at an uncontrolled intersection on Route 35. I encourage you not to try it.

We went out to Holmdel on Route 35 South and had dinner at Chili's last night. We waited 40 minutes for a table and the place was beyond jammed. People were there with their kids dressed in Halloween costumes -- Monday was the official holiday this year. Route 35 is alive and well from Home Depot in Keyport to Holmdel. A guy in line at Wawa told me on Monday that the lights are on to Middletown on Route 35 and to Atlantic Highlands on Route 36, but his statements are of unknown reliability.

We found Optimum Online hotspots near the Staples and McDonald's in Hazlet and in downtown Keyport on West Front Street. We've been visiting Espresso Joe's for internet and power, but we've been buying stuff to support the shop for its kindness. McDonald's in Hazlet has its own internet service but no outlets. We found the Optimum service stronger when we sat in our car with our laptops.

We've been blessed with friends who've helped us with our electric line that came down, a bow saw to deal with a down tree, and a generator to help with the dark and cold nights. The Southern Baptist Convention has sent its Yard By Yard teams into Cliffwood Beach to help with downed trees, another blessing. They're based out of the New Monmouth Baptist Church in Middletown. Give them a call at 732-671-5998 and they'll fill out a work order and see if they can help you with downed trees or removing mud and debris from your basement and yard. The lady I spoke with today said there are a hundred Baptists here from Oklahoma helping the Bayshore. Her team would be here until Nov 16th but more teams would be coming.

We voted this morning at One Aberdeen Square. Parking is a bit of an issue but the cops are there to direct the festivities. With seven districts voting there, it should get interesting as the day goes along. Best advice is to get in and get out quick so others can vote. Remember in Aberdeen to vote for Art Perri as a write in candidate for the Aberdeen slot on the school board. And remember the two referendum items. I'm recommending No votes on each, but do what you feel is best.

Be kind to your neighbors in this time of struggle. And be patient as you can.

History: Dedication of Bayshore Community Hospital (1972)

The 4 May 1972 edition of The Matawan Journal reported on the dedication of the new Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel. The ceremony was held on Sunday 30 Apr 1972 and the hospital opened Monday 1 May 1972.

The hospital was located on a 17-acre site and included 158 beds, four operating rooms, an emergency suite, and X-ray, intensive care and coronary care units.

After several failed attempts to construct a hospital in the area, a group of local doctors and businessmen got together in 1961 and formed the committee that eventually got the support needed to build Bayshore Community.

The article provided the names and activities of the founders as well as the participants at the dedication ceremony.

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.

History: Dearborn Fruit Farm, Holmdel (1965)

Dearborn Fruit Farm ad in The Matawan Journal, 19 Aug 1965

Dominick J Luccarelli began running ads for Dearborn Fruit Farm, Route 35, Holmdel in The Matawan Journal in the mid-1960s.

According to the history page at Dearborn Market's website, Dominick's father, Frank Luccarelli, bought 100 acres of Holmdel farmland in 1925 and raised fruits and vegetables for sale in New York City. The Dearborn roadside stand was established in 1950 and was soon taken over by son Dominick.

Frank Luccarelli was born 27 Dec 1886 in Taranto, Italy and came to the US in 1910, according to census and draft records. He registered for the WWI draft in 1917 while living in Brooklyn. He was married with an infant daughter and part owner of a farm at 2300 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn in 1920. He was a widowed truck farmer living in Holmdel in 1930 with 3 young daughters and a son, Pedro. He traveled alone to Italy circa 1931, giving a Keyport address, and returned from Naples to New York aboard the S S Conde Grande in Mar 1931. By 1940, Frank had remarried and had 8 children, including 3 more daughters and a son, Dominic. The property was listed on Centerville Road in Holmdel and worth $16,000 in 1940. Frank died in Jun 1971.

(Note: Household 69 appears on pp 6-7 of the 1940 census. Household 222 appears on pp 20-21 of the 1930 census. Household 75 family 103 appears on page 9 of the 1920 census.)

Become a Trails Team Volunteer

An opportunity is coming up in March for you to learn the basics of being a Trail Teams volunteer for the Monmouth County Park System. Once trained, you'll spend one or two mornings per month working on new or existing trails within the county system.

Training is scheduled for Sat 10 March 2012 from 9 am to noon in Holmdel. Read this news release for more information. Sounds like fun.

J Mabel Brown, Matawan Journal, Visited Hawaii (1928)

Schofield Barracks Salute (Honolulu Magazine)

J Mabel Brown and her sister went to Hawaii in 1928. There is a lengthy write up on pg 7 of the 4 May 1928 edition of The Matawan Journal. Part travelog, part history lesson, the three-column article has the occasional personal or local tidbit.

The sisters visited in Honolulu with Mr and Mrs Edgar Schanck, formerly of Holmdel.

Ms Brown tells an amusing story of taking the wheel of their chauffeured vehicle so that their driver could play them songs on his ukelele. She hadn't noticed that it was a powerful 12 cylinder car and she was totally unfamiliar with the terrain, but she was soon cruising along while the driver played for two hours.


They dropped in at Pearl Harbor. It was 13  years before the Japanese surprise attack, but already politics were surrounding the naval base there. Ms Brown reported, "The Federal government maintains a large army post with quarters for a division of 30,000 men at Schofield barracks and subsidiary forts. Here we spent a day, and a fine lot of men they are. The navy base at Pearl Harbor is one of the most discussed problems by our Government. There are also aviation fields and a powerful radio station."

Before they left Hawaii, the sisters met with Governor Wallace Rider Farrington. Ms Brown, editor of The Matawan Journal, found lots to talk about with the Governor, who was an "old newspaper man." She had a letter of introduction from Secretary of State Frank B Kellogg, which she carried at the insistence of Senator Walter Evans Edge, also a former journalist, but she didn't need it to get in to see the Territorial Governor. She also carried a letter of introduction from former Congressman Stewart H. Appleby, who had read about the sisters' trip in a piece in The Asbury Park Press.

History: Monmouth County Receipts and Expenditures, 1897-8

Asher T Applegate, Monmouth County Collector, used to publish the county's receipts and disbursements twice a year in major area newspapers. The 23 Jun 1898 edition of The Matawan Journal shows such an accounting for the period November 1897 to the end of May 1898. It happens to include full payment of county taxes for the year 1897 by Matawan Township Collector Austin F Stewart ($2,640 on 22 Dec 1897) and Matawan Borough Collector J H Horner ($8,958 on 7 Jan 1898). Middletown Township paid over $90,000 in county taxes, while Raritan Township paid $9,997 and Holmdel Township paid $7,836. Matawan's Farmers and Merchants Bank paid a $5,000 installment on a loan from the county.

New Jersey State Comptroller William S Hancock paid the county its share of the state school tax ($112,210 on 26 Feb 1898 and $12,468 on 9 Mar 1898). Mr Hancock also paid the county its apportionment of state aid for free public schools ($5,891 on 20 Dec 1897). Mr Hancock reimbursed the county one-third the cost of road construction ($11,398 on 27 Dec 1897)

Disbursements included salaries and expenses for judges, constables, coroners (J Turner Rose charged $15 total for post-mortems on 3 named individuals), board of prisoners, and freeholders, as well as expenditures for bridge, bulkhead and road repairs, bridge and road lighting, surveying, printing, drawing up of plans, legal fees, heating oil, burials, and elections.

History: Car vs Horse; Henry S Terhune Suspected of Hit n Run in Holmdel, 1907

The front page of the 2 May 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal contains this rendering of one incident that took place at the nexus of times as the newfangled car and the old reliable horse struggled to find their place on our local roads.

On April 16 one of the horses at H. R. Thomas' stock farm at Holmdel was so badly hurt that it was shot. The horse was ridden to the village by one of the boys on the farm and at the bridge at the foot of Ely's Hill he became frightened at an approaching automobile and backed right into the path of the car. The horse was knocked down and one wheel passed over his leg, breaking it. He regained his feet and after throwing his rider the horse ran home.

The auto was one formerly owned by Henry S. Terhune of this place, but which he sold several weeks ago to President Morris of the Jersey Central Traction Company. It was in charge of its latter's chauffeur, who was being instructed how to run it by Mr. Terhune's chauffeur, and was under control and going at a slow pace when the horse backed into it.

George Tash, manager of the stock farm has written Vice-President Brown asking him to pay for the horse, but the latter denies any responsibility and has replied to Mr Tash that he will communicate with Mr Morris, who is on the Pacific Coast, regarding the matter. The chauffeur denies responsibility for the accident and before any damages are paid it is probable that the question of liability will have to be settled in a court of law.

The 24 Apr 1907 edition of The Red Bank Register tells of the same event but with different details. The horse was one used to train aspiring jockeys but on this date was being ridden into the village to pick up provisions. The article describes a hit and run committed by four persons in a vehicle owned by Henry Terhune of Matawan.

The number of the automobile was secured and it was found that the machine belonged to Henry Terhune of Matawan. Two men and two women were in the automobile when the accident occurred. They stopped the machine a few minutes to see if the boy was hurt and when they found that he was not they started off again at an increased speed up the road. George Tash, manager of the stock farm, has written a letter to Mr. Terhune asking him to pay for the horse.

Reference is made in both articles to Ely's Hill. The location is in Holmdel, based on a front page article in the 7 Jun 1911 edition of The Red Bank Register.

The most excitement that Holmdel has seen in a long time occurred on Saturday when one of the county steam rollers came within an ace of crashing through the bridge at the foot of Ely's hill.

History: Home Delivery (1915)

John Klein, a butcher in Holmdel, ran up a lot of bills and went out of business, according to the 1 Jul 1915 edition of The Matawan Journal. Seems he tried making his deliveries with a brand new automobile instead of the more traditional horse and wagon. As the newspaper put it: "Villagers lay his trouble to 'too much automobile.'"

Runners Support Manna House at Holmdel Park

The Jersey Shore Running Club hosted a women's 5K race at Holmdel Park on Saturday to benefit Manna House of Cliffwood, among other women's charities, according to Holmdel Patch. 500 runners took on the hills of the park to support the theme of women taking steps to help women.

Holmdel Park After Hurricane Irene

We visited Holmdel Park today for the first time since Hurricane Irene. There is definitely some damage to the trees, but it's worth visiting the arboretum because many are flowering. You might even find a few chestnuts.

Embers: Childhood Stories of Matawan

I just finished reading an interesting book from the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library and thought I'd share some details. Embers: Stories and Sketches (974.9461 Ve), a book written by Matawan native Roy Veary, tells the author's childhood memories of the Matawan area from the 1920's into the early 1930's. The book is written in large part from a kid's perspective and focuses on things important to a kid, like camping, hiking, swimming in the lake and sledding in winter. Along the way we learn something of making the best of things during difficult economic times. Roy's illustrations are quite nice. I just wish he'd included some hand drawn maps.

Roy tells us how old he was when things happened but never provides a year to give temporal context. And he doesn't give us his parents' names. In a way Roy tells us as much about time as Charles Schulz reveals in his Charlie Brown cartoon. Luckily, I found the Veary's in the Federal Census. Roy was born in the second half of the year 1920, so the stories from his early teenage years are from the worst of The Great Depression.

Roy was the  youngest of the Veary children in the 1930 census. His siblings were his sister Elsie (born abt 1915) and brothers Joseph "Bumpy" (born abt 1917) and Frank Jr (born abt 1919). Their parents were Frank (born abt 1899) and Addie (born abt 1900) Veary. Frank was working as a driller in a foundry in 1920 and as a laborer in a tile company in 1930. Addie was raising 3 kids and had one on the way in 1920 but was working as a laborer at a phosphate factory in the 1930 census. They lived on Spring Street in Matawan in 1920 and on Atlantic Avenue in 1930.

Addie's parents, Thomas (born abt 1874) and Minerva (born abt 1877) Bailey, lived with the Vearys in Matawan for over a decade. Thomas was a pressman at a tile factory in 1920 and a laborer in 1930. Addie and her older sister Lida (Aunt Lida in the book) lived on their parents' farm in Holmdel in 1910.

Frank's parents, Frank (born abt 1862 in Germany) and Annie (born abt 1880) Veary, lived on Atlantic Avenue in 1910. His siblings were Frederick (born abt 1899), Margaret (born abt 1903), and Annie (born abt 1909). The elder Frank emigrated from Germany in 1891 and remained an alien in 1910, when he was employed as a clay pressman working in terra cotta.

In the chapter Going to Town, Roy tells us about visiting Butler's grocery, Hyle's bakery, Mahoney's grain and feed, Pruden's butcher shop, Bill Smith's blacksmith's, Harden's store, the movie theater, the police station, Riedel's barber shop, Allen's store, Wagner's store, and the grammar school.  As for the films Roy says he saw, there was William S Hart's last film, Tumbleweeds, in 1925; the 1926 film The Great K & A Train Robbery and the 1929 version of Seven Keys to Baldpate. (pp 19-28)

Roy has two chapters dedicated to the subject of railroads: The Railroad Tracks (pp 34-45) and The Junction (pp 97 - 109). He talks a lot about his exploits related to a trestle that crossed Lake Matawan between his home off Atlantic Avenue and points in town, including school. He also talks about how he and his friends went for a swim in the railroad water tower near the Matawan station. Parents be advised: Your kids do crazy things when you're not looking.

Roy has multiple chapters on hikes he and his friends went on. The Yellow Brick Ruins tells of a hike to the Cliffwood Brickyard (pp 110-115); Mocassin Horse covers a hike up the creek from Lake Matawan to Holmdel (pp 116-129); Going to Church recounts his two-day hike to Old Tennent Church (pp 154-163); and The Ocean Going Canoe tells us about Roy and his friends and their adventure by canoe from Lake Matawan to Matawan Creek and thence across Raritan Bay to Union Beach for an overnight camping trip and back again. This one his parents knew about but should never have permitted, seems to me. (pp 63-76) He tells us of his summer exploits in Bummer Summer (pp 86 - 96) and winter fun in John Ray's Hill (pp 77 - 85). Roy even tells us of travel by steamboat, a common means of transit in those days, in The Bowery - We Never Go There Anymore. (pp 145-153)

I recommend the book for those who want to immerse themselves in what Matawan was like over 75 years ago. I wouldn't suggest that parents send their children on two-day hikes in New Jersey anymore, but it can be fun to read about a time when that was possible. The book is generally well-written but doesn't seem to have been professionally edited. It has a few nagging grammar problems, like the author's mistaken use of it's for its and some number agreement issues, but nothing one can't overlook. Once I return the book you should find it in MAPL's New Books section near the door.

Monmouth and Ocean Disaster Managers Face Earl 2.0

Last weekend, the Jersey Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross joined local and county disaster relief coordinators in Earl 2.0, a major exercise that tested their abilities to work together to deal with the consequences of a seriously reimagined 2010 hurricane. Last year's Hurricane Earl was reconceived as striking much of the East Coast and causing untold damage. The drill was acted out all along the Eastern seaboard.

The local drill allowed Monmouth and Ocean disaster managers to practice setting up and running a disaster relief shelter at Brookdale Community College, a registered disaster relief center in case of a true emergency. Thirty disaster "victims" helped make the event more challenging by providing the team with practical experience providing an assortment of services to victims with a range of special needs and circumstances. The drill showed the managers to be both professional and competent in accomplishing their duties.

Last winter a disaster shelter was set up a Monmouth Mall when a heavy snow stranded motorists in the area. Preparation for disasters is worth the time. Ask your township or borough officials what specific training they have participated in lately to better prepare for local or regional disasters.

Big Top Tomato Adventure Takes Hiatus From Holmdel Home

Top Tomato Superstore in Holmdel has closed its doors and hopes to find another, smaller location in the area, according to APP. In the meantime, most of the store's 65 employees are out of work. Holmdel Commons has a client in the wings waiting for the space, which seems to have made the quick decision possible. All in all, the old Linen n Things location was just too big for Top Tomanagement to tomanage.

UPDATE: Based on an interview published in Freehold Patch, Top Tomanagement thinks Holmdel has too many grocers and too many vacant shops, so I'd say it is unlikely we'll see them opening a smaller store in the area after all. It's funny -- I had just chatted with my cabbie about Top Tomato and he was singing its praises, telling me how it was beating out Dearborn Farms, its chief competitor. I thought the store was a bit expensive, but he was a reasonable man living on a budget and he shopped there all the time. Based on the popularity of my article about Top Tomato when it opened, I'd say the store made a serious error in closing its doors.