Above is a northern portion of Main Street in downtown Matawan, as pictured on page 17 of the 1873 edition of Wolverton's Atlas of Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Along the left side of the map is Matawan Creek, while on the top right
you will see a bit of Gravelly Brook, which actually ran parallel to
Main Street throughout that part of the borough. Both of these waterways
were later diverted as part of the creation of Lake Matawan and Lake
Lefferts.
- Thomas W Thorne, age 65 NJ, retired merchant, lived in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. His daughters Eleanor (30) and Annie (28) were in the household, as were a boarder and a servant.
- Thomas W Thorne died in Matawan on 7 Jun 1981.
- Thomas W Thorne, age 55 NJ, merchant in dry goods and groceries, with $4,500 in personal property and $30,000 in real property, was enumerated in Holmdel in the 1870 Federal Census, along with daughter Ellen and Annie. (Joseph Thorne, age 45 NJ, merchant in dry goods and groceries, was enumerated next on the same page. Joseph is likely Thomas' brother.)
- Thomas (35 NJ) and Margaret (26 NJ) Thorne were enumerated in Raritan, NJ in the 1850 Federal Census. He was a merchant.
Charles W Fountain
Charles W Fountain (C W Fountain) was a 38 yr old grocer and dry goods merchant when he was enumerated in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. He was residing with his wife Anna (35), and children Henry, Jane and William, and a domestic servant. Charles had $11,000 in real property and $4,000 in personal property.
Daniel H and Charles F Wyckoff
Daniel H and Charles F Wyckoff (
D H Wyckoff; C F Wyckoff)
occupied neighboring lots on the west side of Main Street. D H Wyckoff
and Company advertised in the Sep 1869 edition of The Matawan Journal as
a coal dealer. (See
related article)
- Daniel H Wyckoff, age 44 NJ, coal merchant, $35,000, $13,000, page
25, dwelling 216, household 220. Wife, two young children, and Charles F
Wyckoff, below. (1870 Federal Census)
- Charles F Wyckoff, age 20 NJ, coal dealer, $ - , $2,000, living with Daniel, above (1870 Federal Census)
MILL STREET
Behind the Episcopal church is Mill Street, which
runs parallel to Main Street for a couple of blocks. It turns 90 degrees
and joins Main StreetA few businesses were on that street, including
Cartan & Co and the S. G. & S Mill. Matawan Creek was a
commercial waterway at the time.
Dr Aaron Pitman (94 Main Street - Burrowes Mansion)
Aaron Pitman (Dr. A Pitman) was born about 1817 in NJ, according to the 1870 Federal Census. He was enumerated in Matawan with wife Ann and four children: Charles, Hattie, Rodman and Emma. Both Aaron and his son Charles were dentists. Aaron had $10,000 in real property and $2,000 in personal property. The family had a domestic servant.
His long and detailed obituary appeared in the
27 Oct 1894 edition of The Matawan Journal:
"On the Death of Dr. Pitman.
Dr. Aaron Pitman, who died on October 17, was born on a farm near Princeton on April 22, 1817. He had
seven brothers and four sisters, two of his brothers being older than he. When a young man Mr. Pitman learned the trade of cabinet making and later took dentistry as a profession. On December 23, 1839, he married Miss Anne Wilson of New Brunswick at Newark and from there went to Trenton. Here he lived for a short time when he removed to Matawan in 1840. The doctor and his wife took up their residence in what was called the "Round House," which was on the site now occupied by E. I. Brown. From there he moved to W. E. Arrowsmith's house adjoining Dr. Knecht's and after living there a few years bought in 1854 the residence in which he resided until his death. This house was a tavern during the Revolutionary War and is now 153 years old.
 |
| Aaron Pitman lived in Burrowes Mansion most of the second half of the 19th century. |
During Dr. Pitman's early residence here he followed his calling in various sections of the county, it being the custom in those days to drive about the country with a horse and wagon. He had an office at Freehold and spent two days in the week there until his sons William W. and Charles F. grew to manhood, when he turned that office over to them. He then confined his practice to Matawan and until the last
few years had his share of the work.
About four years ago his throat became affected and an operation was performed to clear his windpipe of an obstruction. This was done by a New York specialist, but apparently did little good. The doctor lost his voice and since that time could converse only in a hoarse whisper. Subsequently he submitted himself to an examination by seven of the most prominent physicians in New York and they advised that another operation be performed and suggested the same specialist be asked to do it. But the doctor refused
to consent, as his recollection of his previous experience was not of the pleasantest. His windpipe was gradually closing up and it was thought he would choke to death, but when death came the expectation was not realized and he passed away peacefully and without a struggle. The doctor leaves a wife, two sons and two daughters— Charles P, Rodman C., Miss Hattie and Miss Emma J. Pitman.
Dr. Pitman was a noted man in many ways. He was six feet two inches tall and when in his usual health weighed around 225 pounds. He was of commanding appearance and noted in his younger days for his great strength and bravery, and it is said of him that his prowess had become so well known that no ordinary man could compete with him. During the rebellion he was a strong anti-war Democrat, believing that the differences between the North and South should be settled by arbitration. For his fearless expressions his life was threatened on more than one occasion, but knowing no fear he pursued his avocation and his courage protected him when other men might have lost their lives.
Just previous to Dr. Pitman coming to Matawan he joined the old Liberty Street Methodist Church in New Brunswick and since that time he was an active worker for the cause of the Master. He was ordained a local preacher in 1850 by Bishop Beverly Waugh and was authorized to perform the marriage ceremony. His membership with the Methodist church here extended over half a century and he always oecupied a particular pew in the "Amen" corner.
The funeral services were held last Saturday afternoon in the Methodist church. The doctor's remains were placed in the lecture room (in accordance with his request) and the services held in the auditorium of the church. Revs J. L. Howard, W. W. Moffett, and G. C. Maddock were present and delivered eulogistic addresses on the life of the deceased, after which the funeral cortege moved to Rose Hill
Cemetery where interment was made."
Aaron Longstreet
Aaron Longstreet (
A Longstreet) (17 Aug 1805 - 4 Nov 1894) was a 64 yr old lumber merchant enumerated in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. His wife Catharine was 53 yrs old and son Henry was 11 yrs old. They had a domestic servant. Aaron had $18,000 in real property and $50,000 in personal property.
 |
| This house sits on the north end of the Longstreet lot but seems to be too small and too close to the Burrowes Mansion to be the original house. Perhaps the lot was subdivided and the Gulf station takes up the southern part? |
Aaron and Catharine appeared in the 1860 Federal Census with children Mary (20), Huldah (10) and Henry (2). Aaron was a merchant with $9,000 in real property and $12,000 in personal property.
Aaron and Catharine were enumerated in Raritan (Keyport) in the 1850 Federal Census with children Mary (10) and Huldah (7/12). He was a merchant with $12,000 in property.
Aaron is buried at Holmdel Cemetery in Holmdel, according to
Find-a-Grave.
James H Horner
James H Horner (
J Horner) was a 39 yr old dry goods dealer and grocer in the 1870 Federal Census for Matawan. He lived with his wife Charlotte (36) and 4 yr old twins, son William and daughter Jessie. He had $8,000 in real property and $8,000 in personal property.
Mrs Michael Conover
Nancy Conover (
Mrs M Conover) was the 66 yr old wife of Michael Conover, age 71 in the 1870 Federal Census for Matawan. Michael was a farmer with $3,000 in real property and $600 in personal property.
Gordon D White
See Gordon D White below.
George W Bell - Drug Store, Office of The Matawan Journal
George W Bell (
G W Bell) was a 55 yr old druggist from England who was enumerated in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. His 21 yr old son Americus was a clerk in the store. Also in the household was son Franklin (15) and a domestic servant. George had $3,000 in real property and $2,500 in personal property.
George operated both the drug store (
Drug Store) and the local newspaper, The Matawan Journal (
Ofc of Matawan Journal).
UNLABELED ALLEYWAY
There was an unlabeled alleyway that connected Main Street with Matawan Creek. Along Main Street between this alley and Little Street was a block with a series of 7 small, mostly unlabeled, structures facing Main Street. One was labeled
Market EWH. Another was labeled
SM.
Along the alley itself -
Miss E Brown
I was unable to identify Miss Brown.
Lydia Disbrow
Lydia Disbrow (
Mrs J Disbrow) had a shop of some sort at the end of the alleyway, at the edge of Matawan Creek. She was the 50 yr old wife of John N Disbrow, 53 yr old constable, per the 1870 Federal Census. John had $4,000 in real property and $2,500 in personal property.
An advertisement in the
18 Jan 1873 edition of The Matawan Journal promoted John's role as both constable and auctioneer. He not only collected on local debts but also sold the repossessed items at auction.
"John N Disbrow - Constable and Auctioneer, Matawan, NJ. Attends to the collection of all claims. Orders for Auction Sales may be left at the Matawan Journal Office."
LITTLE STREET (West side of Main Street)
Gordon D White
Gordon D White, born about 1823 in New Jersey, was a retired manufacturer enumerated in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. The handwriting is unclear, but he appears to have had $50,000 in real property and $30,000 in personal property. He was living with his wife Catharine and four children.
Gordon and Catharine White were enumerated in Raritan (Keyport) in the 1850 Federal Census. His business appears to read "stove & tin." He had $700 in property.
They were enumerated in Matawan in the 1860 Federal Census. Gordon's occupation was stove manufacturer.
Factory
Perhaps this factory was Gordon White's stove manufacturing facility?
B Reed
I had no luck finding this person in the census or newspapers.
MORRISTOWN ROAD
Morristown Road is what we now call Ravine Drive. It remains Morristown Road for a section of roadway between Cross Road and Cliffwood Road.
EAST SIDE OF MAIN STREET (North of Little Street)
Colonel John Travers
Opposite the Episcopal Church on the east side of the street was the property of a
J Travers. This would be Col John Travers, who was the prime force behind the construction of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Matawan. An
online history of the church says Col Travers lived at the mouth of the Cheesequake river in Middletown Point, a part of Matawan Township, but the 1850 Federal Census says John Travers, born about 1791 in Maryland, lived in South Amboy with his family - wife Harriet, age 48, daughter Emily, age 13, son Robert, age 10. A farmer with $20,000 in property, Col Travers was hosting 35-year-old Massachusettsan F C "Putman", clergyman, identical with Ferdinand C Putnam, who would be the first pastor at Trinity. Also in the household were several laborers, likely some of those helping to build the church on Main Street in Matawan.
Daniel Lewis
Next on the east side of Main Street, just south of Travers, was the property of
D Lewis. The 1870 Federal Census shows a Daniel Lewis, age 52 NJ, boot and shoe maker, with wife Catharine, age 48 NJ. The property had a building on Main Street and another, possibly a shed, at the back end.
Joseph Rose
Next on the east side of Main Street, just south of Lewis, was the property of
J Rose. The 1870 Federal Census has a Joseph Rose, age 60 NY, farmer, with $35,000 in real property and $30,000 in personal property. Living with him was his wife, Frances, age 60 CT, and several other persons. The property had a building on Main Street. At the rear of the property was a school.
There was an alley south of the Rose property, possibly to provide access to the school.
Francis P Simpson
South of the Rose property was the
Simpson estate. This was likely the property of Francis P Simpson, born about 1800 in England, who was a merchant in Matawan with $21,000 in real property and $14,000 in personal property in the 1860 Federal Census. His wife, Charlotte, was a widow in the 1870 Census. Her daughter Mary and lawyer son William, as well as a number of others were in the household with the widow in 1870.
Lawrence Cartan
South of the Simpson estate was a property labeled
L Cartan. The 1870 Federal Census showed a Lawrence Cartan, 59 Ireland, with $8,000 in real property and $5,000 in personal property, who operated a grist and flour mill. He had a wife Ellen and 3 children at the time of the census.
Richard W Brown
South of the Cartan property were two lots, with one building on each, both owned by
R Brown. The 1870 Federal Census had a Richard W Brown, age 42 NJ, brick mason, with $800 in real property and $250 in personal property. His wife Margaret was 34 NJ.
Peter L Cortelyou
South of the Brown properties was a lot with a building owned by a
P L Cortelyou. The 1870 Federal Census showed a Peter L Cortelyou, age 40 NY, farmer, with $25,000 real property and $8,000 in personal property, and wife Jane B 40 NY and four children.
This ad (left), which appeared in the
24 May 1873 edition of The Matawan Journal, read: "HOUSE FOR SALE LOW! In the lower part of Matawan, pleasantly located on Main street. The style is modern, and there are 7 rooms. Lot streets on 3 streets. A good garden, and a small barn. Apply to P L CORTELYOU."
William H Conover
South of the Cortelyou property was a lot labeled
W H Conover. A number of choices are available for this one, so additional research will be required.
- The 1870 Federal Census had a Michael Conover, 71 NJ, farmer, with wife Nancy, with a William H Conover, 32 NJ, farm laborer, with wife and kids living as a separate family within the household. Likely father and son. Michael had $3,000 in real property and $600 in personal property. William had $1,500 in real and $300 in personal property. The enumeration showed the Presbyterian Church just above Michael on that page of the census.
- A William H Conover, Jr was named Prosecutor of the Pleas for Monmouth County, according to the 13 Apr 1872 edition of The Matawan Journal. (pg 3 col 2)
- The 16 May 1874 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 2) included a William H Conover on a list of local applicants to Monmouth County for a hotel and saloon license.
Aaron H Hopkins Estate
Aaron H Hopkins (
A H Hopkins) was a 49 yr old boatman living in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. His wife Lucy (Burlew) Hopkins was 43 yrs old and their three children -- William,, Elwood, and Eudora -- were living in the household. Aaron had $6,500 in real property and $2,500 in personal property. Son William was also a boatman.
Aaron was the 38 yr old "captain of a vessel" living in the Middletown Point area of Matawan in the 1860 Federal Census. Many of his neighbors were also in maritime occupations. He owned $7,000 in real property and $3,800 in personal property. His wife, Lucy was 29. There were three young children in the household - William, Elwood and Eudora.
Aaron was a 39 yr old boatman living in Middletown Point when he registered for the Civil War draft in Jun 1863.
Aaron was a 27 yr old boatman living in Raritan (Keyport) in the 1850 Federal Census. He had $2,000 in property. His wife's name was rendered as Lucia; she was 22 yrs old. They had a 2 yr old son William.
One genealogy shows that Aaron died in 1871 in Matawan, explaining why the property is listed as an estate.
Aaron named a ship after his wife, according to an article in the
20 Oct 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal regarding the upcoming 100th birthday of Nicholas Conover. The "Lucy Hopkins" was among the ships he piloted in his day. The article says that the Lucy Hopkins was eventually scuttled at South River to create a dock. Conover lived many years in Matawan
Two Empty Lots
There were two empty lots between the Hopkins estate and Mrs Brown's place.
Mrs Brown
Mrs Brown could be Anne E Brown, born about 1825, the apparent widow of Benjamin Brown, born about 1819. They had several children and were living in South Amboy for the enumeration of the 1850 Federal Census. Anne was a single mother in South Amboy in the 1860 Federal Census and the same in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. She had $3,000 in real property and $500 in personal property in the 1860 census and $4,000/$1,000 in the 1870 Federal Census.
Aaron H Hopkins Estate
See above.
William S Horner
William S Horner (
W S Horner), a 61 yr old grocer and dry goods merchant, appeared in the 1870 Federal Census. He had $10,000 in real property and $25,000 in personal property. His wife Hannah was 60 yrs old and his son Robert S Horner, 20 yrs old, was a clerk in the store and resided with his parents. The family had an Irish maid servant.
William was a merchant in the 1860 Federal Census. He had $9,000 in real property and $16,000 in personal property. His son William H Horner, 18 yrs old, was a bookkeeper. Robert was going by his middle name, Stockton in this census; he was 10 yrs old. The family had a different Irish maid servant.
John M Hulshart
John M Hulshart (
J M Hulshart), a 37 year old brick mason, was enumerated in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. He had $6,000 in real property and $2,000 in personal property. His wife Elizabeth M Hulshart was 38 yrs old and their son Clifford was 8 yrs old.
John was a 27 yr old master mason enumerated in Matawan in the 1860 Federal Census. He was head of household with two other masons and a 59 yr old housekeeper residing with him. He had $1,000 of real property and $700 in personal property. The name was rendered Hulsart, a common variation for the name.
John was a mason enumerated with a group of masons and their families in Raritan (Keyport) in the 1850 Federal Census.
John was a mason enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. Again his name was rendered as Hulsart. He had married a second wife, enumerated as Amanda, age 40. They had three young children, the eldest boy possibly from the marriage with Elizabeth and the younger two possibly from the marriage with Amanda due to the gap in births.
Lieutenant John N Cottrell
Lieutenant John N Cottrell (J N Cottrell) (1827 - 1910) served as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War, operated a pottery business in Matawan, and moved in with his son in Neptune, where he died in 1910. He is buried at Mount Prospect Cemetery in Neptune. See his gravestone and other details at
Find-a-Grave.
John was a 42 yr old pottery ware maker enumerated in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. His household included his wife Percilla and 7 children ages 1 to 18, with a set of twins in the bunch. A 4 yr old boy was named Wyckoff Cottrell, suggesting a connection to that family. He owned $2,120 in real property and $500 personal property.
John was a 1st Lieutenant in Company D, 38th NJ Volunteer Infantry with Union troops in the Civil War. The 38th NJ Infantry served at Fort Powhatan, a garrison on the James River east of Petersburg, Virginia, during the last months of the war.
Name: John N Cottrell
Enlistment Date: 20 Sep 1864
Rank at enlistment: 1st Lieutenant
State Served: New Jersey
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Commissioned an officer in Company D, New Jersey 38th Infantry Regiment on 24 Sep 1864.Mustered out on 30 Jun 1865 at City Point, VA.
Sources: Register of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War 1861-65
John was living with his son Wyckoff Cottrell in Neptune in the 1900 Federal Census. Wyckoff was a mason and had been married only two years at the time of the census.
Francis W Hayward
See slaughterhouse listing below.
William W Disbrow
William W Disbrow, born about 1826 in New Jersey, was a commission merchant in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. His 42 yrs old wife Carrie was born in South Carolina. They had three children: daughters Lillian and Irene and son Lee.
The 1870 Federal Census showed William as a single parent with three children: daughters Lillie, Lizzie and Irene. The eldest were born in South Carolina, while the youngest was born in NJ. William was a waterman by occupation.
William L S Harrison Estate
William L S Harrison was born about 1820 in New York and ran a prominent printing business for the City of New York in the 1850s and 60s. He died in 1865. The property (
W L S Harrison Estate), apparently acquired when Harrison lived in Matawan at some point, remained intestate in 1873.
The
18 Jul 1874 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 3) reported the death in Brooklyn of Amy Harrison, the only remaining member of the Harrison family, who had once lived in Matawan. The parents and two of the three children died from consumption, leaving only one son, according to the article. Amy was the niece of Mrs Benjamin Tuthill, of Matawan, thus the local news coverage of this death.
The Matawan Journal said, in part: "The family some years ago resided in Matawan, and at that time consisted of father, mother and three children. Consumption had taken away all except the youngest child, now a young man. The father, Mr. W. H. Harrison, in his life, had one of the best job printing establishments in New York, where he amassed quite a handsome fortune."
The
20 May 1865 edition of The New York Times reported that W L S Harrison died on 19 May 1865, age 41.
The 1860 Federal Census showed William Harrison, 40 yrs old, printer, wife Julia, and several children living in Manhattan. Amy Harrison, age 6 in this census, is likely identical with Amy Harrison living with Freeman and Emeline Harrison in Sparta, NY in the 1870 census.
Freeman, born about 1811, was a physician. He appeared in Alumni Record and General Catalogue of Syracuse University (1911, pg 1675, available at
Google Books) as Freeman Peck Harrison, Geneva Medical College, Class of 1844, a student from Sparta, NY.
William L S Harrison, printer, was charged and eventually cleared of all charges related to the printing of counterfeit Turkish currency, about which The New York Times published a lengthy piece in its
9 Oct 1858 edition. Harrison lived at 82 Duane Street in Manhatan at the time.
Benjamin and Margaret Tuthill, 57 and 46 yrs old, respectively, and family were enumerated in Matawan in the 1880 Federal Census. (Margaret's father and Freeman Harrison's wife were both born in England. Perhaps there is a hint there to the relationship mentioned between the families? It's a wild stretch, but Margaret's father and Emeline could be siblings.)
Capt Haddock Whitlock
Roger Haddock Whitlock (
Capt H Whitlock) was born 2 Feb 1800 in Freehold. He married three times and had fifteen children. (See Stillwell's History of NJ, Vol 3, p 122, the details of which are captured in the notes on
this page at Rootsweb WorldConnect) The Federal Census showed him living in Raritan (Keyport) in 1850 and Matawan in 1870. His occupation in both instances was "waterman."
Francis W Hayward, the Slaughterhouse
Francis W Hayward (
F W Hayward), a 31 yr old butcher born in Massachusetts, ran the
slaughterhouse next door to the hotel stables in Matawan, as enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census. He had $8,500 in real property and $3,000 in personal property. His wife Mary and infant daughter Carrie lived in the household, as did his brother, John W Hayward, age 26 and born in NJ. John was also a butcher. Evidently the Hayward family moved from Massachusetts to NJ in the early 1840s.
John H. Farry, the Matawan Hotel and Stables
John H Farry (J H Farry) was a 40 year old hotel keeper born in New York, according to the 1870 Federal Census. He ran the Matawan Hotel (
Matawan Ho) and the associated stables
(Stables). John claimed $50,000 in real property and $15,000 in personal property in that census. His wife Delia was 32 yrs old and also born in New York. Their four children were born in NJ.
G. D. White Company
G. D. White Co was a stove manufacturing company belonging to Gordon D White.
Mary Crook
The widow Mary Crook (
Mrs Crook) was born 25 May 1806 in Kent County, England. She married Benjamin Crook and came to the US in 1829. He died shortly after they moved to Matawan, leaving her with a number of children to raise, so she opened a notions shop selling sweets and toys. She joined the Methodist Episcopal Church of Matawan in 1844. She died at home on 2 Feb 1881 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Mary had three grandchildren living with her in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. The children could be from any of her boys. She had $8,000 in real property and $4,000 in personal property.
Mary's occupation as running a "fancy store" in Matawan was spelled out in the 1860 Federal Census but not in the others. Her eldest granddaughter was enumerated in her household, as was her daughter Eliza and husband, William S Dunlop, who was in the "market business." Henry and William Miller, barbers, and an Irish maid servant were also living there.
Mary was living in Raritan (Keyport) in the 1850 Federal Census, along with her 17-year-old son Charles, stone cutter; Eliza, 15; and Thaddeus, 13.
Mary was in Middletown in the 1840 Federal Census in the household of her son, Benjamin Crook (age 15-19). Living in the household were six persons: Benjamin; Unknown (age 10-14); Charles, 7; Eliza, 5; Thaddeus, 3; and Mary, 32.
Mary's son Charles Crook was building a new shop and would be moving his marble works to another part of town on 1 Apr 1878, according to the
16 Feb 1878 edition of The Matawan Journal, which cited The
Newton Herald for the news. The 1880 Federal Census showed Charles Crook, operator of a marble works, living on Church Street in Newton, Sussex County, NJ with his wife and children.
Mary's obituary (right) appeared in the 5 Feb 1881 edition of The Matawan Journal.
LITTLE STREET (East Side)
A few doors up from the Methodist Episcopal church you'd find Little Street. The image above shows Little Street in a recent image, crossing from bottom right to upper left, and Main Street from lower left to upper right. Broad Street can be seen in the right corner.
In 1873, Little Street was on both sides of Main Street, but it stopped at Broad Street. There was no bridge over Lake Matawan at the time.
In fact, there was no Lake Matawan.
Frederick Schock
At the northeast corner of Little Street and Main Street was a small property shown on the map as
F Chock. This was very likely a tobacconist shop operated by one Frederick Schock, born about 1843 in Baden, Germany, who was a tobacco and cigar retailer based on his enumeration in Matawan in the 1870 Federal Census. Esma Travel is at that corner now, in a long building that extends down Little Street.
Washington Engine Company
East of the Schock property on Little Street was the Washington Engine Company (
Eng Hos). Established in 1869, the engine company was at 47 Little Street from 1869 to 1976, when it relocated to Jackson Street.
A special election was scheduled for 8 May 1883 for Matawan fire district voters to approve collection of a local tax totaling $100 to allow the incorporation of the Washington Engine Company, according to the
5 May 1883 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 6).
The 20th annual election of officers for the Washington Engine Company was documented in the
9 Feb 1889 edition of The Matawan Journal.
Next door to the engine company at the time of the move in 1976 was the Matawan First Aid Squad building at 28 Little Street. The squad was established in 1934 as an offshoot of the engine company. See the
9 Jul 2009 edition of The Independent for coverage of the first aid squad's 75th anniversary celebration.
EAST SIDE OF MAIN STREET (South of Little Street)
Christian Straub
Christian Straub (
C Straub) owned a butcher shop at Main and Little Streets. He was born in Mecklenburg, Germany in Apr 1841 and came to the US as an infant a year later. Christian, 29 Mecklenburg, was enumerated in Matawan in 1870 and in South Amboy in 1900. His wife Caroline was deceased by 1900; Christian was widowed and head of household with a number of children. What looks to have been Christian's older brother Frederick, 34 Mecklenburg, also a butcher, was living in Christian's household in Matawan in 1870.
Charles Gelhaus
Charles Gelhaus (
C Gelhaus), born about 1842 in Baden, Germany was a new baker in Matawan when he was enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census. He was living with his wife Caroline, 27 years old and also born in Baden; daughter Anna, age 2 NY, and son Otto, born in Oct 1849 in NJ. They had $4,000 in real property and $1,500 in personal property. An elderly seaman with a French name was boarding in their household.
Joseph Maggs
Joseph Maggs (
J Maggs), born about 1804 in England, was a manufacturer with $75,000 in real property and $10,000 in personal property in Matawan when he was enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census. His wife Mary was ten years younger and born in NJ.
The
13 Sep 1873 edition of The Matawan Journal carried this advertisement, suggesting that Joseph grew grapes, probably for the New York City market:
$5 REWARD!
The subscriber will give the above reward for information that will lead to the detection of the party or parties who robbed his vineyard of a large quantity of GRAPES.
JOSEPH MAGGS, Matawan, Sept 13, 1873
Joseph was a cabinet maker enumerated in Raritan (Keyport) in the 1850 Federal Census. He had $21,500 in property at the time. When he died in Mar 1878, Joseph was a brick manufacturer, a common
occupation in the area at the time due to local clay deposits. That is a hint to the "manufacturer" reference in the 1870 census.
Joseph's younger brother William, sister-in-law Ann, and
five niece and nephews were living in his household at the time. William was born about 1811 in New York, suggesting that William and Joseph's parents emigrated to the US between 1804 and 1811. This period was remarkable for the Napoleonic Wars, but the British, who were warring with France during this entire time frame, owned the seas.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The bottom center of this map shows the intersection of Main Street and Morristown Road (now Ravine Drive). The green box at that intersection is the old Methodist Episcopal Church (M. E. CH.), which is where Matawan Drugs stood for many years and, more recently, a dollar store operated. (The cursive
"Matawan" from the Matawan Drugs sign is still on the wall of the building.) The old Matawan Hospital would have been on Morristown Road within a block of Main Street.
