History: Our Matawan Portfolio (1891)

Page 3 of the 25 Jul 1891 edition of The Matawan Journal had a section called Our Matawan Portfolio, in which some local news items were reported. Below are items from the paper, followed by my research notes.

1. Charles H Schanck sent six baskets of peaches to New York last Wednesday.
2. Dr Jackson has a Kensington cart that attracts much attention and is admired by all.
3. Remember the Oriental lecture and entertainment in the Baptist Church this Friday evening.
4. Benjamin Cooper, of Freneau, had a stroke of apoplexy on Monday and is lying in a critical condition.
5. The net receipts of the Fourth of July Picnic under the auspices of the St Joseph's R C Church were over $725.
6. Almost forty young people from this place attended the harvest home at Old Tennent Church Wednesday evening.
7. Mrs E Sylvester, of Perth Amboy, has removed to Matawan and is occupying a house on Broad street owned by E I Brown.
8. Elwood Hopkins gathered three bushels of swamp huckleberries in two days this week. Where he was they were plentiful.
9. The pile driver is at work on the bridge crossing the creek above the railroad trestle. Henry Holland is the engineer in charge.
10. The August number of Butterick's Delineator is out. As usual, it contains just what the ladies need in preparing their summer costumes.
11. J W Cooper and family, of New York, have rented the James Cottrell house in the upper part of the town and are now occupying it.
12. A new fence has been built around the property of C H Wardell in the rear of Washington Hall. W A Fountain, Jr furnished the labor.
13. We acknowledge the receipt of a map from Amzi T Dodd, of Long Branch, showing the different points reached by way of the Central R R of New Jersey. Please except (sic) thanks for same.
14. Dr C Knecht has removed his heater from his house and W A Fountain has contracted to put in a Furman steam heater, which is expected to give much better results than the one just removed.
15. On Monday night as Garret Hendrickson was leaning back in a chair on the stoop of Conover's restaurant, his weight proved too much for one of the large glass windows and the top of the chair went through it.
16. The meeting of the Commissioners announced for Saturday evening last was attended by only three members, one less than a quorum. It was decided to have the next meeting on Saturday, July 25, at the usual hour and place.
17. Mr E H Dominick has a copy of The Lord's Prayer printed in fifty-three different languages. It was compiled by F A Strale of New York in 1811 and has been in the possession of Mr Dominick since that time. It is certainly a curiosity.
18. The evangelist, Lavinia A Browne, was married on Monday at Little Silver to Mr Joseph Anderson of Atlantic Highlands. Mrs Browne-Anderson will continue her evangelistic work while her husband is in college preparing himself for the ministry.
19. A number of farmers in this vicinity were noticed going to the seashore on Saturday morning last with empty tubs and rakes. Upon their return in the evening their tubs were filled with hard clams, and in addition to having a day's recreation they were amply remunerated for their long drive.
20. Rev C I Percy and Mr P V Hyer engaged in a croquet game on Monday evening on Dr Knecht's grounds. Chinese lanterns made light for the occasion and the grounds presented a picturesque appearance. The game was hotly contested and resulted in a draw, after more than an hour's play.
21. The Midway Shooting Club of this place will meet the Perth Amboy Gun Club on the latter's ground on Saturday and shoot a friendly team match. The contest will begin at 1 pm and will be at live birds. The opposing teams will consist of at least eight and possibly ten men and the Midways hope to carry off the honors.
22. Potatoes, tomatoes, apples, corn, peppers, cabbage and other early produce have been going to the market in large quantities this week. The first of the week tomatoes brought $3.50 a crate, but on Thursday they were quoted at $1.59@$3. Potatoes range from $1.75@$2, and apples from 75c@$1.50, Nyacks bringing $2.50.
23. The present week has been a joyous one for the country people. Different localities have made up parties and visited the shores of Raritan Bay for a pleasant time in bathing, boating, etc. On Thursday several load of children from the neighborhood of Ticetown passed through town bent on a day's outing at Cliffwood.
24. If any of our readers have last week's copy of The Journal at hand and can spare it they will confer a favor by sending it to this office.  We have a call for several copies which are wanted to send to friends of Miss Ida Faye. The demand last week was an unusually large one and our edition was exhausted before all our friends were supplied.
25. Assessor Bedle has about finished  his visits to taxpayers. Only a few property-owners have not handed in their schedule and in case this is not done soon the assessment will be made and if deductions should afterward be claimed the application will have to be made to the State Board of Assessors, which will probably meet in this county some time next month.
26. William P Malcolmson, who was said to have been committed to the Reform School July 16 by Judge Conover, is still at liberty. The Judge was not satisfied that the Reform School was the proper place for a boy of his age and the matter was laid over for a week. On Thursday the hearing was again laid over in order that the father of the boy could be present at the proceedings.
27. Charles Gehlhaus has lost two cows this week. The first one died Sunday morning and the other Tuesday afternoon. It is supposed that there must have been something wrong in the food given them, as both died in the same manner. Both cows were buried near by in Straub's barnyard. Last week Mr Gehlhaus also lost a horse, and his cup of  bad luck seems to be running over.
28. Mr Antisell has sold his first piano, manufactured in Matawan, to the Baptist Sunday school of this place. The instrument is an upright in style and finished in the best manner known to the trade. Its tone is superior to any we have heard and we have no doubt as soon as its merits become known in the East the demand for the Antisell piano will be greater than the anticipation of the manufacturers.
29. Nothing of importance was done at the special meeting of the Township Committee on Saturday evening last. After a half hour's talk it was decided to adjourn until Wednesday and go over the new road and what was still required to be done. The plans for the new bridge as prepared by the county will be used by the Township in building its part of the bridge, thus making the entire bridge uniform in material used and mode of construction.
30. Sebastian Miller, of New York, a man noted as an athlete, wrestler, and heavy lifter, visited the Aberdeen Inn on Tuesday, in company with Mr Wickert, of Keyport. While there he showed his strength by breaking a cobblestone into pieces with his hand doubled up. In appearance he is a rather short man but powerfully built. It is said that he will give an Exhibition in the Armory, Keyport, in about a fortnight, which will be under the auspices of the athletic club of that place.
31. We are informed that Ruliff Quackenbush will soon put on stages between Keyport and the railroad station in opposition to the horse railroad company. He has been thinking over the project for some time and the one thing in the past that has deterred him from doing it before was that he believed the Matawan patrons of the horse railroad would be very apt to continue with the railroad. He now, however, has reached the conclusion that the people riding from this section will bestow their patronage on him and for that reason is going to give it a trial. 
32. As J L M Dominick was making a delivery at the piano factory on Wednesday he left his horse standing along the public road. The animal was attracted by some foliage on the bushes and crossed the road to get it. Just at this point there is a five foot ditch and as he was about to step into it he was stopped by Dr Knecht, who was passing at that instant. It was fortunate for Jerry that that the doctor came along as he did, as the horse would have fared badly in another minute, and his loss would have been a severe one.

NOTES

1. - There was a Charles Schanck, born about 1836, who was enumerated in Matawan in the 1860 Federal Census. He was living with Mary A Cook and her daughter Gertrude, and what appears to have been Charles's mother, Hager Schanck, born about 1801.
   - There was a Charles Schenck, born about 1835, enumerated in Marlboro in 1870 as a farm laborer. He had a wife Elizabeth and a 15 yr old son Charles.
    - There was a Charles Schanck, born about 1840, enumerated in Marlboro in 1880 as a farm laborer in the household of Vanderbilt Whitlock. He had a wife Elizabeth.
    - John V P Schanck was Schanck the Grocer (wholesale and retail), of Matawan, who advertised in The Matawan Journal in the 1880s and early 1890s. He had a son Charles W Schanck born about 1867.
2. - There was a Andrew J Jackson, born Dec 1842 in New York, physician, living on Main Street in Matawan in the 1900 Federal Census. A Kensington cart was likely an electric car manufactured by the Kensington Automobile Company, of Buffalo, NY, which made cars from 1899 to 1904.
3. - Oriental lectures in the Baptist church would likely have been Sunday school classes teaching about the Holy Lands or mission work in the Far East. There was an Oriental Lectures Bureau selling Sunday school materials on West 23rd Street in New York in 1887. And there was an Oriental Lectures Bureau at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, undated.
4. - Benjamin P Cooper, carpenter, was born about 1817 in New Jersey. He lived in Raritan (Keyport)  and then in Matawan until his death.
8. - Elwood Hopkins, born Dec 1851, appeared in the 1900 Federal Census living with his widowed mother, Lucy Hopkins, born Mar 1828. Also in the household was Elwood's sister, Dora Hopkins, born Dec 1855. No one in the household was working in 1900.
9. - Henry Holland, born Nov 1853, stationary engineer, appeared in the 1900 Federal Census in Matawan. He listed himself as married sixteen years, but there was no wife, only a son, Robert.
10 - I found an online copy of the May 1891 edition of Butterick's The Delineator .
11. - There was a farmer named James H Cottrell, born about 1830, with wife Patricia Ann, living in Marlboro in the 1860 and 1880 Federal Censuses.
12. - Charles H Wardell, bank cashier, born about 1838, appeared in the 1880 and 1900 censuses in Matawan along with his wife, Mary. They were living with his mother-in-law, Charlotte Simpson, in 1880.
12. and 14. - William A Fountain, born Apr 1839, ran a hardware store in Matawan.
13. - Amzi Dodd, born about 1867, was the son and namesake of the owner of Dodd's Express, a baggage handling service in the New York City area. He was attending college and living with his father in New York City in the 1880 Federal Census. The 1900 Federal Census showed him living in Ocean, NJ, where he was enumerated as the superintendent of Dodd's Express. There are a number of letters to the editor and even a dedicated article (Express Nuisance) in The New York Times complaining bitterly about the New York Transfer Company, of which Dodd's Express was part. The company would lose or steal from people's baggage. There was an article in The Hartford Weekly Times claiming that one of the company's drivers conspired with thieves to steal from postal bags between the port and the post office. A company cashier committed suicide by taking morphine, again as reported by The NY Times.
14. - Cyrus Knecht was a physician in Matawan in the 1900 Federal Census. He was born in Sep 1851 in Pennsylvania. He was a physician in Easton, PA in the 1880 Federal Census. He was the doctor who treated a knife wound after a pool room fight on Main Street in 1929. He died in 1934 and was buried at Green Grove Cemetery in Keyport. (See 12 above re W A Fountain.)
15. - Garret Hendrickson, born about 1838 in NJ, was son of John S and Eleanor Hendrickson. Garret lived with his father, a farmer in Raritan Township, in the 1850 Federal Census. He was a clerk in a mill living in the household of David Craig, a merchant in Matawan, in the 1860 Federal Census. He was married and back in his father's household, a $26,000 farm in Holmdel that used the Matawan post office, in the 1870 Federal Census. And he was a store clerk living with his father-in-law, Benjamin E Griggs, the tax assessor in Matawan, in the 1880 Federal Census.
15. The 2 Aug 1890 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the Saturday 27 July 1890 opening of W H Conover's restaurant and dining rooms adjoining the Journal's offices. William H Conover, born about 1837 in NJ, was enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census as a farmer. He had a wife and three daughters living with him at the time.
17. - Edward H Dominick, born about 1811 in New York, was a watch repairman when he was enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. Also in his household was his 45 year old housekeeper (Alice Compton) and his 7 month old son (Amsey Dominick).
17. - Frederick A Strale, born about 1795 in Stockholm, Sweden, paper maker, 5' 10" tall, hazel eyes, brown eyes, dark hair, enlisted in the 5th Infantry Regiment (US Army), Company D, on 17 March 1820. He became an artificer in light artillery. (The 5th Infantry notably built a fort at the mouth of the Minnesota River during this time, laying the groundwork for the construction of Minneapolis-St Paul.) He graduated Uppsala University in 1809, and then graduated Andover Theological Seminary, Andover, Massachusetts in 1827. He was ordained an evangelical Presbyterian minister on 16 September 1829 at New Lebanon, NY. (This town was home to the New Lebanon Conference, where Presbyterian leaders challenged the preaching methods of Charles Finney at the peak of the Second Great Awakening.) Strale, late of Chenango, Broome County, NY, had died recently when a public notice to creditors was placed in The Broome Republican at Binghamton, NY on 11 Oct 1832. I suspect the Lord's Prayer was assembled by Rev Strale but not in 1811, which coincidentally was Edward Dominick's approximate year of birth. Strale was likely still in Stockholm in 1811.
20. - Rev C. L. Percy preached at the First Baptist Church in Matawan from January 1890 to October 1894, according to a 1904 history of Baptists in the area. He conducted a wedding in Matawan on 21 Feb 1894, according to the 28 Feb 1894 edition of The Red Bank Register. He accepted a call to a Baptist church in Deposit, NY, starting his new charge on 1 November 1894, according to Christian Work, vol 54, published in 1894.
20. - Peter V Hyer, born about 1839, lived in Holmdel with his wife Julia in the 1860 Federal Census and used the Matawan Post Office. He had a $15,000 farm in Holmdel in the 1870 Federal Census. And he was a farmer in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census.
21. - The Midway Shooting Club's founding was announced in the 2 Oct 1875 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 4). "A company of gentlemen from Matawan and vicinity, who are fond of the sport connected to the gun," rented the hall above the stores in the Rose Building across the street from the Episcopal church on Main Street, Matawan, for their new club.
22. - The Nyack pippin or Champlain apple was an obscure form of Sweet Bough dessert apple grown in New Jersey and Delaware in the mid to late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was thought to have originated in Vermont or New York. Reference the Bulletin of the US Bureau of the Plant Industry, 1907; The Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Horticultural Society, 1876; and The Western Fruit Book, by Franklin Reuben Elliott, 1859, reprinted.
24. - Ida Faye, born about 1857, was one of three single adult daughters of the widow Jane Faye, born about 1820. They were all living together in their mother's Matawan household in the 1880 Federal Census. The newspaper she wanted extra copies of, the 18 Jul 1891 edition of The Matawan Journal, included a story on pg 2 col 3 about a farewell reception held at the Baptist church for Ida Faye, MD, who would be departing in August for missionary work in India.
27. - Charles Gehlhaus, born about 1842 in Germany, was a baker enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census, along with wife Caroline and eight children. His son Otto was boarding in Keansburg as a real estate salesman in the 1930 Federal Census. He reported that his father was born in Hamburg, Germany and his mother in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
28. - The T M Antisell Piano Company of Matawan manufactured the patent steel wrest plank tuning device and high grade pianos recognized with awards in New Orleans and Melbourne, according to an 1891 advertisement in the Music Trade Review. It employed 20 persons in Matawan in 1909, according to the Industrial Directory of New Jersey, 1909. The Red Bank Register, 8 May 1901, reported that Matawan residents had invested $2,000 towards the establishment of a foundry, due to open 1 June 1901, called the Matawan Steel and Iron Company. The foundry would be located in the old Antisell piano factory.
30. -  An article at Muscles of Iron says Sebastian Miller was born in January 1862 and came to the US in 1887.
- Wrestling Observer contains research on events involving Sebastian Miller mentioned in issues of The Brooklyn Eagle between 1888 and 1902.
- The 1910 Federal Census shows Sebastian Miller, born about 1862 in Germany, living at 122 4th Street in Manhattan. Terese Miller, born about 1858 in Germany, was his second wife, this being their second year of marriage. Sebastian was a saloon proprietor. He claimed to have immigrated to the US in 1887 and that he was a naturalized citizen.
- The 1920 Federal Census shows Sebastian Miller, born about 1862 in Germany, living at 3019 North Clark Street in Chicago. His wife Theresa and nephew Joseph Miller were living in the household. Sebastian was a tailor. Sebastian claimed to have immigrated to the US in 1886 and that he was naturalized in 1895.   
- A Sebastian Miller, born about 1862 in Germany, came to America in steerage as a mason in December 1881 aboard the SS Switzerland, which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium to New York City.
- A Sebastian Miller, born about 1862 in Germany, last residence Munich, came to America in 2nd cabin as a machinist in December 1892 destined for New York aboard the S S Spaarndam, which he boarded at Rotterdam to New York City.
31. - Ruliff Quackenbush, born about 1816 in New Jersey, was enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. He was a laborer. His wife was Cecelia, also born in 1816 in NJ.
32. - Jared M Dominick, born about 1851 in New York, was enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. He was an expressman. His wife was Sarah and his infant daughter was named Mary.

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.

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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: Abortion in Monmouth County Newspapers (1883 - 1958)

With all the pressure to make legal abortions difficult if not impossible to obtain, it seems a good time to review the history of illegal abortions in Monmouth County and the many women who were hospitalized or even died after seeking to end an unwanted pregnancy. Below are an assortment of articles from The Matawan Journal and The Red Bank Register between 1883 and 1958 on the topic of abortion.

Ocean Grove druggist C. Huestis was being pursued on charges of seduction and abortion after evading capture, according to the 26 Sep 1883 edition of The Red Bank Register. The 4 Jun 1884 edition of the same paper elaborated on this, saying that Dr Cornelius Hustis had been captured earlier that week, adding that Hustis had been sought on charges placed by his victim, Emma Howell, of Ocean Grove.

The 13 Jan 1892 edition of The Red Bank Register said, "Thomas Timothy, Jr., of Holmdel township, was arraigned on a charge of abortion. He had betrayed his sweetheart, an immigrant girl named Ella Patrula, and had then induced her to take Paris green. He pleaded not guilty and will be tried on Tuesday, January 26th."

The Matawan Journal's coverage of upcoming arraignments in the Monmouth County Courthouse in ithe newspaper's 2 Feb 1895 edition, page 8, column 5 included a case of conspiracy to commit abortion. A woman named Rosalene Brady had sought and apparently received an abortion in Matawan. Those who performed the procedure were to be arraigned in Monmouth County court for conspiring with Ms Brady as well as for committing assault and battery against her.

Mrs Viola Bowers, a housekeeper in Howell, died of blood poisoning due to an abortion, according to the 11 Apr 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal. A coroner's jury was unable to name any culprits while hearing the matter at Freehold, but they were given only limited information. A doctor from Belmar and her employer in Howell were under bond to testify before the grand jury related to the matter.

The Monmouth County physician, in his annual report, cited one death in the county in 1925 due to abortion, according to the 8 Jan 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Mrs Stella Patterson, of 14 West Main Street, Keyport, accused a juror of soliciting a $400 bribe to quash an indictment against her, according to the 20 Dec 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal, front page. Mrs. Patterson had been charged with performing an abortion on Mrs Eleanor Hopson, 24, of Long Branch. Mrs Hopson died in Hazard Hospital in Long Branch due to the alleged operation. The juror was indignant at her charge against him and called her a liar, while the other jurors called it a frame up.

Red Bank PD arrested one person for abortion in 1943, according to the department's annual report, which appeared in the 10 Feb 1944 edition of The Red Bank Register, page 2 column 1.

Patrick Santangelo of Red Bank was indicted in Monmouth County court for an abortion he performed in Red Bank in August, according to the 5 Sep 1946 edition of The Red Bank Register., page 3.

The Monmouth County Medical Society, at its February 1948 meeting, was to hear a presentation on the prevention of abortion and premature labor, according to the 4 Mar 1948 edition of The Matawan Journal, page 3, column 2.

NJ State Police and Bergen and Passaic County Police broke up a $2,500-per-day abortion ring operating weekends in Red Bank and weekdays in Paterson, according to the 16 Aug 1951 edition of The Red Bank Register..

A doctor from Atlantic Highlands was charged with abortion and tax evasion, according to the 9 Apr 1953 edition of The Red Bank Register, page 8 column 5. At the same time, the doctor was involved in a civil suit/counter suit involving the man who managed the doctor's dairy farm.

Anthony "Tony" Siciliano of Eatontown was charged in Monmouth County court of performing an abortion on Miss Jane Harrison of Long Branch, allegedly causing her death, according to the 25 Feb 1954 edition of The Red Bank Register. Harry Neuwirth, of Long Branch, allegedly aided and abetted the abortion by soliciting Mr Siciliano's services. The defendants were seeking a delay in the court proceedings to prepare their defense, according to the 24 Jun 1954 edition of The Red Bank Register. Mr Siciliano was found guilty two years later, as can be found in the 11 Oct 1956 edition of the Register, pg 2. That edition included a second abortion charge against Mr Siciliano, as follows,"Another indictment against Siciliano, charging him with performing an abortion on Miss Joan E. Rollins, 20, Falls Church,. Va., a college student at Lakewood, is also pending. Miss.Rollins died during August, 1954, after an abortion in an Ocean township motel. Prosecutor Vincent P. Keuper has said he would wait for the sentencing of Siciliano and review of the pending Rollins case before deciding whether to proceed with a trial in the second one."

Dr Leopold Brandenburg of Middlesex Road, Matawan, was found guilty in Hudson County court of conducting an abortion 12 years earlier in Union City, according to the 17 Nov 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal. The woman testified that she and her ex-boyfriend visited this doctor in 1943 and he had charged her $200 to conduct the operation. Dr Brandenburg lost his license in 1947 and served 44 months in a federal prison on narcotics charges.

The 16 Feb 1956 edition of The Red Bank Register carried the following story:
"Abortion Ring Trio Arrested
FREEHOLD — Mrs. Harriet (Hattle) Marks, 38, Southard, charged with performing an abortion and being the central figure in an abortion ring, pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was held in $10,000 bail for grand jury action.
   Prosecutor Vincent P. Keuper said Mrs. Marks had performed about 200 illegal operations during the last 20 years for a statewide ring.
   Identified as one of the key persons in the ring is Robert J. Croameans,, 35, Neptune City, who operated a soda fountain in Red Bank and is free in $10,000 bail awaiting a hearing Monday before
County Judge Elvln R. Simill.
   The complaint in this case is based on an alleged abortion performed last Sept 8 in a Wall township motel on Miss Gladys Bennett, 22, Plainfield. Mr. Keuper said Cremeans has been the go-between in many of the cases in which Mrs. Marks allegedly performed the abortions."

Susan Seward was in Monmouth County court charged with performing a $50 abortion in July 1956 on Mrs Helen Leonard, of Montclair, at the New Shrewsbury home of Sarah Jackson, according to the 15 Nov 1956 edition of The Red Bank Register. Ms Seward claimed that Mrs Leonard conducted the operation on herself with the help of Ms Jackson. Mrs Leonard spent three weeks in a Mountainside hospital recovering from the operation.

Mrs Anna Trzaska of South River was charged with performing an abortion in August in a Keyport home on a 21-year-old Keansburg woman, according to the 2 Oct 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal, page 15, columns 7-8.. Trzaska initially pleaded not guilty but ultimately did not contest the charges, according to the 8 Oct 1959 edition of The Matawan Journal, which noted that the Keansburg woman had been hospitalized but responded to treatment and was released.

History: Construction of Route 36 Between Keyport and Atlantic Highlands Underway (1932)

The 8 Jul 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal provided an update on the construction of New Jersey State Route 36 between Keyport and Atlantic Highlands.

Good Progress Being Made on New Highway
Section of Shore Boulevard from Keyport to Keansburg is Eighty Per Cent Completed

Rapid progress is now being made by the State Highway Commission in the paving of nine and three-tenths miles of Route 36, between Keyport and Atlantic Highlands. Rain during the early part of the season, however, delayed activity, and the new thoroughfare, which is known as the Shore Boulevard, will not be in readiness for traffic for about two months.

The four and one-tenth miles section between Keyport and Keansburg is eighty per cent complete and the stretch of five and two-tenths miles is fifty per cent finished. The Keyport-Keansburg link is scheduled for opening September 1 and that from Keansburg to Atlantic Highlands October 1, according to H. D. Robbins, Control Division Construction Engineer for the Highway Department.

The contract has already been given for the new bridge on Route 36 over the Shrewsbury River, between Highlands and Seabright, but the alignment for the three miles of roadway yet to be built between Atlantic Highlands and Highlands has not been decided. More than a year will be required for the building of the bridge over the river,and it is expected that during the interval the remaining section of the roadway will also be constructed.

In its campaign for safety the Highway Commission has built a bridge at the junction of Route 36 with Route 35 at Keyport, to avoid the crossing of traffic at grade. Route 35 extends from South Amboy through Asbury Park and Belmar to Lakewood and is one of the moat heavily traveled arteries during the summer. Under the plan that has been devised by the Highway Board the north-bound lane on Route 35 will be shunted under the bridge, which will carry Route 36 at Keyport.

History: Libya in the Matawan Journal

Libya became the world's newest nation on 24 Dec 1951, according to a photo caption in the 10 Jul 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Given the recent stories about Libya, I thought I'd check for articles in the old Matawan Journal that mentioned Libya. There were more than I thought.

The 30 Jul 1942 edition of The Matawan Journal noted that Mayor James C Auchencloss of Rumson was of the same Scottish clan as Major General Auchinleck, commander of the British army in Libya.

The Strand Theater in Red Bank was playing A Yank in Libya as part of a double feature, according to the 1 Oct 1942 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The United Nations General Assembly established an Advisory Council to aid and consult Adrian Pelt, the UN Commissioner for Libya, who was consulting Libya on its post-war transition from an Italian colony to an independent state, according to a front page photograph caption in the 16 Nov 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal. 

Libya became the world's newest nation on 24 Dec 1951, according to a photo caption in the 10 Jul 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The 19 Apr 1956 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the engagement of Beverly Ann Ellery to a Libyan diplomat at their Embassy in Washington, DC. Miss Ellery was working at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. She graduated from Keyport High School.

The 28 Mar 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal said that John F McClosky, of 4 Dibling Street in Union Beach, attended a reception at the Grand Hotel in Tripoli, Libya on 15 Mar 1957. The reception was hosted by US Ambassador Tappin and his wife in honor of Vice President Richard Nixon. McClosky was identified in the article as a civilian worker for the US Government.

First Sergeant William W Rinear of Matawan was a 17-year veteran of the US Air Force assigned to Libya when he was photographed with First Sergeant John Coraczi of Milwaukee, Wisconsin discussing nearby El Uotia, Libya firing range operations. The accompanying article, on page 13 of the 6 Mar 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal, discussed firing range operations in a bit of detail.

Airman Third Class Charles F Sellick of West Keansburg, was to be transferred to Wheelus Air Base in the Kingdom of Libya, according to the 23 Jan 1964 edition of The Matawan Journal. His parents, Mr and Mrs Charles F Sellick, Sr, lived at 4 Thorne Place in West Keansburg. He had been trained in the maintenance and inspection of US jet fighter aircraft at Amarillo AFB in Texas.

Wikipedia says Wheelus AB was operated during the Cold War as a strategic bomber base and training center. Strategic Air Command and a detachment of the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing operated out of Wheelus until 1970. Perhaps Sellick was trained to service the then new F-4 Phantom II?

The US had already negotiated its withdrawal from the base when Muammar Qaddafi took over in 1969. Libya passed the airbase to the Soviets soon after the US left in 1970. The base became the headquarters of the Libyan Air Force.

The US Department of Defense was looking to hire teachers for their overseas dependent schools at the elementary, junior and senior high levels, according to the 28 Jan1965 edition of The Matawan Journal. Libya was one of the named destinations. Applications were being processed through Temple University in Philadelphia.

Airman Second Class James E Ross, Jr was to be assigned to the small unit of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) at Wheelus AB, having graduated technical training for emergency radio repairmen at Kesler AFB in Mississippi, according to the 25 Mar 1965 edition of The Matawan Journal. His parents were Mr and Mrs James E Ross, 9 Holly Street, Old Bridge.

MATS provided global airlift services of military personnel and equipment. MATS had transferred most of its operations to Rhein Main AB, Germany in January 1953, according to Wikipedia.

Airman First Class Bruce Makuk of Matawan had recently been transferred from Stewart AFB in Newburg, NY to the Administration and Finance Department of Wheelus AB in Libya, according to the 4 Apr 1968 edition of The Matawan Journal. His parents were Mr and Mrs George Makuk, 110 Ravine Drive in Matawan. Bruce graduated Class of 1962 from Matawan High School.

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: Sebastian Straniero, Keyport, Earns Bronze Medal in Germany (1945)

The 18 Oct 1945 edition of The Matawan Journal highlights two regional Bronze Medal winners (Sebastian Straniero of Keyport in Europe and Charles Schilke of Wickatunk in the Pacific) and provides that week's list of local soldiers heading home to Matawan (Charles W VanClief, Herbert H Schenck, Charles H Shinn, Joseph A Conzalina, Leo A Kalleta, and Richard V Voelker) , Keyport (Charles S Hopla, Charles Kegley, Frank Della Pietro, Clair Menzel, and Robert J Trusain?), Cliffwood (Edward T Cox, John D Boyle, Edward G Oakes), Browntown (Everett H Congrove and Frank Burlew), West Keansburg (Ira J Boyce), and Laurence Harbor (Frederick N Thomas).

The 1930 Federal Census shows Sebastian Straniero (8, NY) living on Poole Avenue in Raritan Township with his parents Grazio (41, Italy) and Mary C (35, NY) Straniero and siblings Nicholas (12, NY), John (10, NY), Salvatore (5 NJ), Charles (2 10/12, NJ), and Anthony (1 2/12, NJ). Grazio was a laborer at a truck farm. He had immigrated to the US in 1910 and was a permanent resident alien. He and Mary wed about 15 years earlier (he at age 27, she at 20).

According to his obituary in the 14 May 2008 edition of The News Transcript, Sebastian Straniero went on to serve in Korea through the National Guard. He was the owner/operator of Buddy's Barber Shop in Hazlet. He worked for the Hazlet Board of Education, retiring in 1991. He died in Morganville on 1 May 2008 at the age of 86. His brothers Nick, John, Charles and Anthony all predeceased him.  Two sisters and a brother survived, as did his wife Frances and two sons. Frances died in August 2010, according to her obituary on Day Funeral Home's website.

The article below is just one example of our area's human investment in the Second World War and how our local boys were in the thick of it. There were four Straniero brothers in the service; three would be home for Christmas in December 1945, according to the Journal.

Bronze Star Medal For Local Soldier
Raritan Twp. Youth Cited For Achievement In Germany; Expected Home For Christmas

Pfc. Sebastian A. Straniero, 23, son of Mrs. Mary Straniero, Raritan Township, R. D. 1 , Keyport, has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in action on Apr. 6, 1945, in the vicinity of Zuttlingen, Germany.

The citation accompanying the award, reads as follows —"Private Straniero was advancing as lead scout of the platoon when he was fired on by an enemy machine gun about a hundred yards away. Falling to the ground, he signalled for his platoon to provide covering fire as he advanced to bring fire on the enemy. Crawling under fire, Private Straniero advanced 50 yards and, firing two shots, killed the enemy gunner, enabling the platoon to continue its advance. The aggressive action of Private Straniero reflects great credit upon himself and upon the Armed Forces of the United States."

Straniero, who expects to be home for Christmas, entered the army in November, 1942, and was sent overseas in March, 1943. He served for two and one-half years with the 43lst Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Aircraft Warning Battalion which on Aug. 6 marked its third anniversary of overseas service. He was transferred to the 63rd Infantry Division in December, 1944.

He attended the Raritan Township schools and worked at Eisner's in Red Bank before entering service. He has three brothers in service, and they are, John, seaman first class, who expects to be home also for Christmas after a year and a half in the Pacific; Cpl. Nicholas, with the 88th Division of the Fifth Army in Italy, who has been overseas two years and in service four and one-half yearn, and Cpl. Salvatore, now in Korea, having been overseas a year and a half. Nicholas, whose wife lives in Matawan, anticipates being home for Christmas, too.

Time to Make Off With the Donut Money? Not Really

Keansburg PD did a nice job of thwarting an after-hours burglary at Dunkin Donuts in their town around 10 pm on Sunday night. The police told APP that a local couple carefully planned an inside job at the woman's place of work. The woman put a change of men's clothes and a walkie talkie in their baby carriage and left it behind an abandoned house, then went to work at the donut shop as usual. The man dressed in camouflage and lurked behind the store until closing. The woman finished her shift at closing time, quickly retrieved the baby-carriage and returned to the store. They entered the rear of the store, opened the safe and took the money, but the police had staked out the place based on a tip and were able to stop the thieves in their tracks. The police are to be congratulated on some fine work. The couple had left their child with a neighbor, so social services were looking into that situation. I'm not sure what they planned to do with the $5,000 they intended to abscond with, but it doesn't seem worth all the trouble and time they'll likely serve.

History: Hurricane Donna Batters Bayshore, Sep 1960

The 15 Sep 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal includes a front page story about Hurricane Donna, which passed through the area that week. Below is a transcript of part of the article, including reporting on Matawan Township and the Borough.

I've included an unedited section of the article to show just how bad the optical character recognition (OCR) can be, even in a rather recent article like this. The poor quality is due in large part to scanning the microfilm instead of the original newspapers.

HURRICANE DONNA BATTERS BAYSHORE AREA

Bayshore area residents today are continuing to dig out from under the wreckage and debris caused in the span of six hours Monday when the full fury of Hurricane Donna, termed the nation's most destructive storm, howled and lashed the Raritan Bay area from Keansburg to Laurence Harbor.

Most severely hit by the hurricane, whose 80-mlle-an-hour winds struck the bayshore area at the time of peak high tides, were the communities that front on Raritan Bay, Keansburg, Union Beach, Keyport, Matawan Township and Madison Township.

Bay waters, lashed into tides ranging 10 feet above normal and heavy seas by the hurricane force winds, raged inland, causing thousands of persons to evacuate their homes. The bayshore area was left a scene of destruction and ruin. Damage to the area was estimated at several millions of dollars.

May Declare Emergency

Yesterday, mayors of bayshore communities met with Eugene N. Aloi, a member of the financial assistance division of the Federal Small Business Administration, to explain the need to declare the bayshore an emergency area.

Both Mayor James J. Gravany of Keansburg and Mayor Norman J. Currie, Keyport, presented a list of damages sustained in their respective municipalities. Congressman James C. Auchincloss met officials in Keansburg on a tour of the distressed areas.

If the bayshore qualifies for emergency assistance by the SBA, businessmen and homeowners, along with charitable institutions, may obtain loans at three per cent interest, payable over a 10-year period to repair damages wrought by the storm.

Matawan Township

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 Beach, 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 Ciiffwood 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.

Boats Scattered In Road

Roy Matthew's Fishing station on Amboy Rd., at Matawan Creek filtered severe damage by winds and rain during the storm. Water boiled over the banks of the creek, inundating Matawan Rd. and scattering boats housed in the dockage area along the road and in the meadows.

Police set up a roadblock at the Matawan Creek bridge Monday night until boats could.be cleared. Police said the barn on the Joseph Grimaldi farm, off Lloyd Rd., was half torn down by Donna's winds.

Matawan

Falling trees, wind damage to homes and failing electrical and telephone lines comprised the greatest damage suffered by Matawan during Hurricane Donna. Many trees were felled and electric power was out during much of the day. The storm felled a wall at the sewage disposal plant and washed out 40 feet of sewer pipe.

There was flooding for about two hours on Aberdeen Road and Ravine Drive. A large tree crashed onto the grounds of the Matawan Grammar School on the Church Street side, tearing down a part of the cyclone fence.  Police said no one was injured.

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

Here is an example of the OCRing for this article.

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years, collnpsed.
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uf tho InwiiNlilp IncliKliil lulK'n
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accompanied tin: storm.

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.

History: Train Accident at Woodbridge, 1951

Below are two articles from the 8 Feb 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal related to an extremely serious train accident that occurred during the evening rush hour at Woodbridge, New Jersey. The paper said 88 passengers were killed and 500+ injured when their speeding train caused the collapse of a temporary train trestle over construction on the NJ Turnpike.

See also Woodbridge Township's site , GenDisasters, and the Wikipedia article.

Seven Dead, Eight Injured From Area In Pennsylvania Wreck At Woodbridge
Local Aid Squads, Police, Firemen, Join In Efforts To Aid Victims; Lack Of Service On Strikebound Jersey Central Crammed Train

Seven from his area were dead and eight injured in the still incomplete count of the casualties resulting from the Pennsylvania Railroad wreck Tuesday at Woodbridge. The total dead was 88 and over 500 were injured.

The dead:

• Ruth I. Crimmins, 21, 111 Cleveland Ave., Laurence Harbor.
• Irene J. DenBleyker, Matawan Rd., Laurence Harbor.
• George W. Gracie, 46, 112 Morningside Ave., Laurence Harbor.
• Leo W. Mullen. 28, of 411 Jefferson Ave., Laurence Harbor.
• John A. Nordlund. 69, of 127 Laurence Pkway., Laurence Harbor.
• Clarence W. Holmes, 58, of 220 Birchwood Dr., Cliffwood Beach.
• George Bernius. Grove Ave., Laurence Harbor.

The injured:

• Albert Clayton, RD Matawan, South Amboy Memorial Hospital. (discharged)
• Christina Connelly, 256 Harding Ave., Laurence Harbor, Perth Amboy General Hospital.
• Frank Flynn, 23, of 611 Aumack Ave., Union Beach, Perth Amboy General Hospital. Fractured pelvis.
• James Gallagher, 878 State Highway, Laurence Harbor, Camp Kilmer Hospital.
• John Hall, 206 Shoreland Circle, Laurence Harbor.
• Evelyn Herrick, 336 Raritan Blvd., Cliffwood Beach, Perth Amboy General Hospital.
• David Lembert, S Ocean Bvld., Cliffwood Beach, Perth Amboy General Hospital.
• John E. Thurn, 481 Brookside Av., Laurence Harbor.

 Edgar Walling, Main St., Keyport, was on the train but reported only minor cuts.

Toll Could Have Been Higher

The casualty total for the area would have been much higher if it had been generally known by commuters from the Keyport-Matawan sector that the ill-fated train, known as "The Broker," leaving Exchange Place, Jersey City at 5:07 p.m., was making a special stop at Matawan to accommodate those who ordinarily rode the strike-bound, Jersey Central. On its regular schedule "The Broker" does not stop at Matawan.

Bayshore disaster relief units joined those of 20 other municipalities in assisting Woodbridge agencies in coping with the sudden and stunning catastrophe.

Keyport, Matawan, Union Beach, West Keansburg, and Keansburg First Aid Squads were rushed to the scene. The Keyport squad did standby duty for the Fords squad. As the Fords unit took victims from the wrecked cars, the Keyport squad made two trips, one to Perth Amboy and the second to a Long Branch hospital. The Matawan squad made two trips from the disaster scene to Perth Amboy General Hospital. Union Beach squad was held at home under orders until later in the evening, but they, too, were summoned to the scene in time to give aid to victims. They also had a stretcher squad atop one of the cars when the dead were being brought out. West Keansburg aidmen assisted in bringing victims out of the cars, according to Squad Capt. Leroy Hay. Keansburg had both ambulances at the scene and made runs to Perth Amboy General Hospital.

Chief Leroy Sproul and Patrolman William Geiger, Keyport Police, took Bert Peteler, a Keyport resident who Is a specialist in acetylene torch work, to the scene in the police car with oxygen tanks and torches. Tho two policemen were assigned to duty assisting Woodbridge Police control the crowds at the scene. Patrolman Robert McGowan, Matawan, also assisted with this work.

Many Rush To Scene

Many borough residents rushed to the scene, some in concern for the welfare of residents or to give aid, others out of curiosity. Others hurried to Matawan station for reports on the train, or to telephone to call any agency which might have a casualty list.

The accident occurred at 5:43 p.m. when the train entered a sharp curve on the temporary overpass opened three hours earlier to carry trains over construction work on the New Jersey Freeway. The exact cause was undetermined but it appeared to observers that a temporary wooden trestle had collapsed after the engine and the first five cars had cleared it.

The locomotive tender and first five cars of the 11-car train passed safely over the trestle, one car length across and supported by eighteen wooden tiles. Wheels of the sixth car apparently broke through the wooden bridge, causing a whip-lash action to convulse the train.

Engine Topples Over

The steam locomotive toppled over on its side but remained on top of the embankment. The tender fell to the west down the 25-foot embankment, landing in Fulton St., a roadway running parallel to the tracks.

The first and second cars slewed part way down the embankment, perilously tilted but not overturned. The third and fourth cars plunged farther down the embankment and were the worst damaged. They contained most of the dead and critically injured.

Tho fifth car rested on its side in the mud of the embankment just south of the bridge, while the sixth, under which the trestle appeared to have collapsed, spanned the trestle, resting on the concrete abutments at either end. One of its wheel trucks had dropped through the bridge and rested in Legion Pl. below.

The seventh and eighth cars appeared to have sheared past the sixth car, ripping open their sides and plowing down the embankment near the third and fourth coaches. The last three cars remained to the north of the bridge, upright on the tracks.

Going 50 Says Engineer

The engineer of "The Broker" admitted yesterday afternoon he was going 50 miles an hour, twice the authorized speed, when the train suddenly jumped the tracks.

Joseph H. Fitzsimmons, 57, of Point Pleasant, the veteran engineer, however blamed the absence of caution signals for the disaster. But Conductor John N. Bishop, also of Point Pleasant, declared he sensed the train was going much too fast for safety and was just about to pull the emergency brake for a slowdown when the smashup happened.

Both the railroad and the Turnpike Authority, which built the temporary overpass where the train left the tracks, absolved the trestle from blame. Assistant Middlesex County prosecutor Alex Eber questioned the
engineer and the conductor in their hospital cots. Neither was injured seriously.

Mr. Eber said Mr. Fitzsimmons admitted he had read orders limiting speed to 25 miles per hour over the trestle. When he reached the Woodbridge station area, where the train was not scheduled to stop, he cut his speed from 60 to 50 miles, he told Mr. Eber, and began to looking for amber caution signals when he was about 2500 feet from the trestle.

Mr. Fitzsimmons said he would have reduced his speed further if there had been any.signals, adding that it was the rallroad's responsibility to see that proper signals were in operation.

According to Mr. Eber, Mr. Fitzsimmons said he began applying his brakes about 2300 feet from the trestle. "Then something happened to the train and  it was derailed," he said.

But, Mr. Eber said, Mr. Bishop pointed to the speed of the train, which was rounding a curve on an upgrade approaching the overpass.

Conductor's Story

Mr. Eber said Mr. Bishop, the conductor, told this story of the wreck:

"Before we left Jersey City I spoke to Mr. Fitzsimmons and discussed the order limiting speed to 25 miles an hour in the vicinity of the trestle.

"The train was unusually crowded because the Jersey Central was not operating due to the switchman's "sickness" strike.

"Because of my experience as a conductor I sensed that we were on an upgrade and going much too fast. I was just going to reach for the emergency cord when the train was derailed. I felt no braking immediately before the 'wreck."

Mr. Eber said he also learned from railroad officials that there was no speedometer on the wrecked
locomotive, that there were no caution signals in the area, and that no advance safety tests had been made of the trestle.

However, Mr. Eber joined the railroad and Turnpike Authority in insisting the trestle was sound. There was no evidence, he said, that the trestle collapsed before the train jumped the tracks.

Wreck Victims

Below is obituary information on six of the seven Laurence Harbor-Cliffwood residents who died in Tuesday's tragic rail wreck, at Woodbridge:

Crimmins Rites

Services for Miss Crimmins, daughter of John W. Crimmins, Madison Township committeeman, will be held from the Day Funeral Home, Keyport, Saturday at 8 a.m. A requiem mass will be celebrated in St. Lawrence's Church, Laurence Harbor, at 9. Employed by a New York insurance firm, Miss Crimmins is survived, besides her father, by a brother, John C. Oakland, Calif., and her stepmother, Mrs. Catherine Crimmins.

George Bernius jr.

Georgc Bernius Jr. of 937 Grove Ave., Laurence Harbor, was born 29 years ago in Orange, where he livcd until moving here in 1946. A veteran of World War II, he was a welder for The New York Times. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Elsie Corback Bernius, and his father, George Bernius, Sr. of Laurence Harbor. The funeral will be from the Frank J. Codey & Sons Funeral Home, 69 High St., Orange.

Clarence W. Holmes

Clarence W. Holmes, 58, of 220 Birchwood Dr., Cliffwood Beach, was a native of Connecticut. He has lived in Cliffwood Beach eight years, coming from Newark. He was employed by the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Co. in Newark. Mr. Holmes is survived by his wife, Mrs. Florence Holmes, a five-
year-old daughter, Barbara, and two brothers, Charles and Ernest, both of Newark.

George W. Gracie

George W. Gracie, 46, of 112 Morningside Ave., Laurence Harbor, had lived there 18 months and was employed at General Motors Export Division in New York. Born in Newark, he lived in Irvington before moving to Laurence Harbor.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Jean Duncan Gracie; two daughters, Ellen, 5, and Jean, 3; a brother William Gracie of Linden, and three sisters, Mrs Elizabeth Corvan and Mrs. Florence Leu of Irvington, and Mrs. V. Rehm of Detroit.

Leo A. Mullen

Leo A. Mullen of 411 Jefferson Ave., Laurence Harbor was project manager in the technical writing service section of the McGraw Hill Publishing Co., of New York. He was born 28 years ago, in Astoria, L. I., and moved to Laurence Harbor four years ago. A World War II veteran of four years In the Air Force,  Mr. Mullen was a second lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve. He had attended both Yale and Rutgers, majoring in business administration. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Ann Mullen of Springfield Gardens, L. I.; a four-year-old daughter, Kathleen, and two brothers, Joseph of Melrose, L. I., and Raymond of Springfield Gardens.

Mrs. Daniel DenBleyker

Mrs. Irene (Jaeger) DenBleyker of Matawan Rd., Laurence Harbor, was employed by Dieterle & Sleight Inc., Newark, paper box firm. Mrs. DenBleyker usually commuted on the Jersey Central, but because of the strike, took the Pennsylvania Tuesday night.

Mrs DenBleyker was born in Newark and moved to Laurence Harbor in 1933. She was 53. Mrs. DenBleyker was the widow of Daniel DenBleyker, who died in 1940. She lived with her sister, Mrs. Elsie Benner. She also leaves a brother, William Jaeger of Orange.

St Patrick's Day in the Aberdeen, NJ Area

St Patrick's Day is nearly upon us again. Apparently you can attend all the area's St Patrick's Day parades if you are so inclined because their dates and times do not conflict.

• The 2011 South Amboy St Patrick's Day Parade will be held Saturday 12 March beginning at 2 pm.
• The 2011 Woodbridge St Patrick's Day Parade will be held Sunday 13 March beginning at 1:30 pm.
• The 2011 Keyport St Patrick's Day Parade will be held Saturday 19 March beginning at 1 pm.
• The 2011 Keansburg St Patrick's Day Parade will be held Saturday 26 March beginning at 1 pm.

Irish pubs in our region include Shannon Rose at St George's Crossing, Routes 1 & 35 in Woodbridge; McDonagh's on West Front Street in Keyport; Dublin House on Monmouth Street in Red Bank; and Tumulty's on George Street in New Brunswick. Check Restaurant Passion for restaurants serving Irish fare in NJ.

If you have other recommendations or know of specific events, feel free to add comments below.

October 2010 Keansburg Fire - Videos

Here are three videos of the 11 October 2010 fire in Keansburg, NJ. The first two videos show fire fighter activities. The third shows what the area looked like in the light of day after the fire was out.

Keansburg Fire Forces Evacuations, Destroys Condo Complex

The Newark Star Ledger reports a major fire on Beachway in Keansburg. The fire started in a warehouse around 1 am Monday morning and spread to neighboring residences and vehicles. Check their NJ.com website for footage from Fox News as well.

The Jersey Coast Chapter of the Red Cross provided support to evacuated residents and over a hundred firefighters from the New Point Comfort Fire Company fire house.

APP and other news services have coverage also.

History: Keansburg Steamboat & Matawan's Main Street Firms in The Matawan Journal

The Keansburg Steamboats schedule appeared on Page 6 of the 5 September 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal. Immediately below the schedule was an advertisement for Keanburg Fire Co No 1's annual Coney Island Excursion aboard the SS City of Keansburg, leaving Keyport at 6:15 pm and Keansburg at 7pm sharp. A dollar for adults and 50 cents for children guaranteed passengers would enjoy music for dancing and refreshments along the way. Rollo Bus Line would meet the arriving steamboat at Keansburg  to deliver people home to Port Monmouth, Belford, Middletown, Campbell's Junction, and Red Bank, and at Keyport to shuttle folks home to Matawan, Freneau, and Union Beach.

The Matawan Journal dated 7 September 1950 shows that one of two Moloney's Markets selling Top Quality Meats was located at 120 Main Street, the current location of Wrapture, a gift wrapping and shipping service.

Johnson-Gibb Motor Co was located at 110 Main Street, the current location of Atlantic Glass, per Page 13 of Matawan Journal's 8 September 1960 edition.

The Fourth of July in Matawan, 1932

I found this Red Bank Register article dated 13 July 1932, which mentions Matawan's Fourth of July festivities that year.

Matawan staged one of the most interesting Fourth of July celebrations in its history. The first event on the all-day program was a baseball game in the morning between the Matawan post of the American Legion and the Matawan firemen. It was played on the Matawan high school field and was witnessed by a crowd of enthusiastic fans. This spirited battle ended in a tie, with the score 6 to 6.

The parade, which was scheduled to start at Memorial Park at 12:00 o'clock was delayed two hours by a steady downpour of rain, but at two o'clock the parade, which included fire companies of Matawan, Keyport and Hazlet, the American legion post, Girl Scouts, a George Washington float, three bands of music, the celebration committee headed by Mayor Edward W. Currie and members of the borough council, was on its way. Both sides of Main street were lined with people.

Immediately following the parade the crowd flocked to Lake Lefferts, where aquatics sports listed on the day's program were contested. By the starting time, 3:30 o'clock, over 4,000 people lined the banks of the lake. A band on a float tied to the east bank, kept the spectators in good spirits throughout the afternoon with national marches and modern music. Through the courtesy of TenEyck Ronson, the judges' float was equipped with a radio hook up to assist the master of ceremonies, Mayor Edward Currie, in announcing the results of the various sport events to the large gathering.

The first event, a fifty-yard dash for girls, was won by Emma Croce, with Vera Hoelzer coming in second and Muriel Brown third. Time, 60 seconds.

Boys' (under 14 years old) 50-yard dash was won by Dayton Wilson of Keansburg. Albert Griffiths of Matawan was second and Frank Veary of Matawan third. Time, 44 4-5 seconds.

The 100-yard dash for girls over 14 years was won by Claire LeFavre of Matawan. Carolyn Kortenhaus of  Cliffwood was second and Helen Chocha of Matawan third. Time, 1 minute, 54 seconds. The 100-yard dash for boys under 14 was won by John Riley of Keansburg, with Joe Dorner of Newark second and James Riley of Keansburg third. Time, 1 minute, 36 seconds.

The two-man relay race for 100 yards was won by Melvin Carman and John Reilly, with William Sergis and J Parprota second. Time, 1 minute, 13 seconds.

The fancy diving contest for boys was won by Vito Scadis of Matawan with Clifford Reeve and Thomas MacDonaid, both of Matawan, second and third. Helen Chocha and Jane Cortenhaus carried off the diving honors in the girls' affair.

The three-quarter mile race for boys was won by Jake Parprota of Parlin. William Sergis of Matawan second and George Clayton of Matawan third. Time, 13 minutes, 5 seconds. The three-quarter mile race for girls was won by Miriam Thorsen of Matawan with Claire LeFavre of Matawan second and Dorothea Hotailng of Matawan third. Time, 18 minutes.

The boys' canoe tilting contest was won by Vito Scardis handling the tiller with Peter TenEyck at the paddle. The team of Shirley VanBrakle and Reba Disbrow won the girls' canoe tilting affair and as an added attraction a duel between the two winners was staged. After half an hour of desperate struggling in the canoes between Shirley VanBrakle and Vito Scardis the judges called it a draw. Both teams received medals. The canoe race was won by Dernberger and Barrette and Ryder and Clayton second and the TenEyck brothers third. The barrel rolling contest was won by William Dernberger. The canoe tug-of-war was won by Lefferts and Sergis. In the evening there was a display of fireworks at 10:00 o'clock.

Miss Hazel Warnock left last week for a camp at Beach Arington. Miss Ann Laird, daughter of Councilman and Mrs.Laird, is spending the summer at a camp in Maine.

CB OB Woman Raped, Murdered, Set on Fire in Her Bed

UPDATED: Investigation continues into the recent rape and murder of Petra Rohrbaugh, a 52 year old woman who lived in a house at 18 Hilltop Boulevard in the Cliffwood Beach section of Old Bridge, NJ. According to reports in NJ.com and APP, Rohrbaugh was raised in Germany and came to the US with a man from the US Air Force. They had two children and had then separated. Rohrbaugh moved to this area to be near her daughter -- a nurse living near OB -- and a grandchild. Her son still lives in Germany. Rohrbaugh gave local piano lessons and played organ for St Mark's Episcopal Church in Keansburg.  She had planned to move to Keansburg in a few months to be closer to the church.

Neighbors seemed to suspect a friend of a contractor working on the house next door, according to CBS. No one has been charged with the murder, but an ex-con from Perth Amboy is being held by police for interfering with the investigation.

2010 Keansburg St Patrick's Day Parade

Keansburg had its annual St Patrick's Day Parade this weekend. Here's a few shots I obtained from volunteers with the American Red Cross, who told me they felt warmly welcomed by the crowd.

News Updates as of 26 March 2010

• Men from Cliffwood Beach and Keyport were arrested in Keansburg for fighting in the street, according to APP. The news article doesn't provide the date of the incident.
• Matawan's police chief, who is under administrative review by the county prosecutor's office, has been granted a paid leave of absence, per The Independent.
• Huskies Girls Basketball's Alyssa Johnson was chosen for the North team in the Shore Coaches Senior All Star Games held on 24 March at Freehold Township High School, according to The News Transcript.
• Danny Avella, of Matawan, is a freshman infielder for Monmouth University's Hawks baseball team, according to Atlanticville. Avella attended CBA. Coaches from the Northeast Conference expect the Hawks, who lost some key talent from last year's championship team, to come in second place this year to rival Wagner.
• Two southbound lanes of Garden State Parkway near Exit 120 were closed Wednesday after debris fell onto cars from an overpass that morning, per MyCentralJersey.
• A Middletown man caught stripers weighing 18 lbs and 17.5 lbs off Cliffwood Beach last Monday, per NJ.com's Jersey Shore Fishing.

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