History: Free Public High Schools in New Jersey

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

0:29 Sign; Route 35 N visible in background

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

0:36 Turn in road before current Home Depot

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

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

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

0:44 Dutch Motel; unidentified restaurant

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

0:46 Old Manor Estates sign; Sunoco garage

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

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

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

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

1:03 Fitzgerald's Green Acres Bar

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

1:11 Farm stand and truck

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

1:19 Bethany Road railroad crossing, looking southwest

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

1:39 Bethany Road approaching construction site

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

Notes:

FITZGERALD'S GREEN ACRES BAR

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

SGT PEPPER'S CLUB

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

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

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

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

History: Bull Run > Matawan Road > Heuser Boulevard > Matawan Avenue

As the result of some research I conducted this weekend, I have found a lot of interesting information about the history of Matawan Avenue.

Matawan Avenue appeared unlabeled in the 1873 and 1889 Monmouth County atlases following pretty much the same course that it does today. Rather than meeting Ravine Drive at Lake Lefferts, the two roads merged at Matawan Creek, which one had to cross to get to Main Street. There was no Garden State Parkway then, of course, so the road covered some territory that is now crossed by a bridge.

Through the early 1930s, the road was known locally as Bull Run for some reason. The local Civil War regiment fought at Bull Run, so perhaps there is a connection there?

In 1935, there was a reference to the road as Heuser Boulevard, perhaps after the local engineer, Richard Heuser, but the name never stuck as far as I can tell.

From the mid-1930's til the late 1950's, articles and notices in the Matawan Journal bounced back and forth between the names Matawan Road and Matawan Avenue. Matawan Road was more commonly used. There doesn't seem to have been any borough vs township association to the two names, but the road was in the area annexed by the Borough in the early 1930s, so maybe there is some rivalry involved in the use of the two names?

By the early 1960s, after a brief but awkward period of using "Old Matawan Road" and "New Matawan Avenue," usage settled on Matawan Avenue. The Garden State Parkway had taken quite a section of the town in the previous decade; the construction caused the diversion of the railroad, the displacement of homes and businesses, and a bridge had to be built over the parkway so Matawan Avenue could continue to link Cliffwood with Matawan.

The references below cover only thirty years but there was quite a bit of change in that short period of time.

The 18 Dec 1931 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 6):

     "Matawan Township started its emergency relief road program yesterday. . . Another program which is expected to put into operation, possibly tomorrow, is to grade Matawan Road, which is better known as Bull Run. The road is now being surveyed by Engineer Richard Heuser. It will be graded to its full width of 33 feet, ditches will be opened on either side and the road will be graveled. No attempt will be made this winter to raise the grade of the road in the hollow, according to Lewis H. Stemler, Chairman of the Township Committee. Mr. Stemler says to make a fill in the road at this time of the year would leave it in too bad a condition for winter travel."

The 3 Aug 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 5 col 3):

     "The bridge, known by the New York and Long Branch Railroad Company as the "Mary Adams" bridge on Bull Run over the main line of the Company's tracks, is now thrown open to travel. It has practically been rebuilt. During this time the road has been closed to traffic."

The 13 Sep 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 cols 4 - 5)

     "At the regular meeting of the Matawan Boro Council Tuesday nite held at the Boro Hall, it was decided that Matawan would prepare and submit applications for nine WPA projects. . . . After considerable discussion, the projects to be applied for, with the understanding the boro had the power to turn down the proposition later if it was so decided, included: Extending eight-inch water line along Atlantic Avenue to the water works; a six-inch water main tie up on Aberdeen Road to Heuser's corner; extending water main along Matawan Avenue, also known as Heuser Boulevard; resurfacing of Broad Street, Matawan Avenue, Church and Washington Streets; improvements to parks, such as reopening of public roads to water edge, and building tennis courts and play lots, if possible; cataloguing and rebinding of books in the library."

The 24 Feb 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal includes a legal notice "instituted for the purpose of foreclosing a certain certificate of tax sale affecting lands in the Township of Matawan, aforesaid and situate on the west side of Matawan Avenue, which tax certificate was executed by the plaintiff 's tax collecting official to the plaintiff and is dated December 2nd, 1940, and is unrecorded . . ."

The 7 Feb 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 10 cols 5-6) reported road construction and repairs to a number of roads in Matawan Township, including the section of Matawan Avenue between Grove Street and the Garden State Parkway.

The 18 Sep 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 14 col 2):

FIRST ELECTION DISTRICT

All that part of the Borough of Matawan, BEGINNING at a point where the center line of Main Street intersects the boundary line of the Township of Matawan, thence

• (1) along the said center line of Main Street in a southerly direction to the bridge on Main Street, south of South Street; thence 
• (2) along a line drawn down the center of the gulley crossed by the said bridge to Lake Lefferts; thence 
• (3) in a northerly direction along the easterly edge of Lake Lefferts to Prospect Point; thence
• (4) along a line drawn across Lake Lefferts from Prospect Point in a northeasterly direction to Ravine Drive; thence 
• (5) along a line drawn across the gulley to the left of Highland Avenue to a point at the end of Liberty Street, thence 
• (6) along a line parallel with Matawan Road to the gulley which runs along Aberdeen Road; thence
• (7) along a line down the center of this gulley to a point where same intersects with the center line of Matawan Road; thence 
• (8) along the said center line of Matawan Road in a northerly direction to the point where said center line of Matawan Road intersects the boundary line of the Township of Matawan; thence
• (9) along the said boundary line of the Township of Matawan to the point or place of Beginning. 

 Polling place: Hook & Ladder fire house, in back of Borough Hall.

The 24 Sep 1959 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 12 col 4) includes a public notice of sheriff's sale involving about 15 acres of land affected by the construction of the Garden State Parkway. The land description includes a mention of ". . . the road known as the public road from Cliffwood to Matawan, also known as Old Matawan Road, and sometimes called Matawan Avenue, as it was formerly located prior to its relocation by the New Jersey Highway Authority. . ."

The 1 Oct 1959 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 cols 6 - 8) includes legal notices involving over 9,000 acres of Matawan property affected by the construction of the Garden State Parkway. One of the legal notices appears to settle the above sheriff's sale as well as "[p]roperty located approximately 500 feet northeast of Aberdeen Road and the New Matawan Avenue [that] adjoins the southwesterly right of way of the Garden State Parkway, Borough of Matawan, New Jersey."

The 24 Aug 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned Matawan Avenue among a long list of Matawan Township roads to be repaved.

By the way, as a byproduct of working on the above, I noticed that "Origins of Aberdeen Street Names," by Aberdeen Historian Edward Fitzgerald, has disappeared from the Aberdeen Township website. I have relied on it quite a bit over the years, always finding it helpful, and I pointed to it on my blog's Research Tools tab for the benefit of fellow researchers. I hope it can either be restored to the Township page or added to the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library's online resources.

High Tide at Cliffwood Beach on Friday the 13th

Tonight around 9 pm, my wife and I were heading home from dinner at Bertucci's. We needed gas, so we stopped in at Wawa off Cliffwood Avenue, but they waved us off, no gasoline for some reason. So we got on Route 35 North and picked up gas across from the 7 Eleven in Cliffwood Beach on the Old Bridge side of town. To get home, we took Ocean Parkway towards the Raritan Bay and crossed the Whale Creek bridge. From the heights we could see water covering the field in the park, but the roadway was clear, so we proceeded. But we could only go as far as the beginning of Lakeshore Drive, where we found waves of water approaching us. Tonight's full moon brought quite a high tide at Cliffwood Beach. The roadway and much of the park, and probably part of Greenwood Avenue, were all under 6 - 12 inches of water. A high pickup truck made it through, but we had to turn our car around.

This is the road that Aberdeen Township talked about in the 21 November 2013 edition of The Independent. They wanted to spend $180,000 to raise and repair it. The thinking was that if only the storm drains could be cleared of debris and the dunes repaired, the roadwork would revitalize the 65-acre park. Nice sentiments, but frankly, I think the Raritan Bay has other plans for these lowlands at Cliffwood Beach.

On a related note, check out Google Maps' idea of where the Cliffwood Beach Seawall is situated. They have it in the bay.

Cliffwood Beach lost power today and suffered some flash flooding due to a heavy rainstorm around dinnertime. The construction gullies along Cliffwood Avenue and Route 35 were full of rainwater tonight.

Route 35 North was reduced to a single lane through Hazlet tonight. Traffic was at a standstill. There were countless fire trucks and construction vehicles in the closed right lane from Hazlet Avenue to Holmdel Road. I assumed it was storm related, but who knows?

Route 35 Improvement Project in Full Swing

The long-awaited road improvement project on Route 35 in Aberdeen Township and Old Bridge Township has been underway for over a year now. New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) issued a press release in March 2013 announcing its imminent start, but it didn't specify when it would end nor did it describe the full extent of the project.

All I can say is that the project is in full swing. Cliffwood Avenue and Amboy Avenue intersections are the focus of attention at the moment, with new curbs installed, sidewalks torn up and being replaced, new storm drains and pipe installed, and new traffic lights hanging over the intersection but not yet operating. The school crossing guards must be having the devil of a time getting the kids safely across the intersection with the sidewalks gone.

Route 35 northbound commuter traffic is backed up most weekday mornings through Keyport due to a right-lane closure, which forces traffic to merge into a single lane at Prospect Avenue just east of Wendy's. Lots of traffic cones, barriers, flashing lights, etc, make it hard to find your way if you need to turn at Amboy or Cliffwood Avenue. I imagine the evening commute is just as messy southbound through Laurence Harbor. Lucky for me, I ride the train and have no children currently in school.

I've avoided Route 35 north of Cliffwood Avenue for the duration of the construction, so I don't know exactly how far they've gotten with raising the road surface and adding culverts under the roadway in the notorious flood plain at the county border. But I can say the stack of concrete culverts and pipe they piled at the corner of Route 35 and Cliffwood Avenue, where Burlew's Pizzeria used to stand, has all been used up and different supplies are now sitting there. It will be great when the mounds of tarp-covered materials are gone and the gateway to Cliffwood Beach can begin to look less like a war zone.

I'm anxious to see exactly what they plan to do with the north side of Route 35 at Cliffwood Avenue, where the traffic gets snarled every morning during the morning rush. They tore down Burlew's and Moore's Bar, presumably to make room for some aspect of this project, so they have plenty of land to develop a better intersection there. They've not started adding curbs on that side of the highway, so it is hard to say what is shaping up. They're doing the curb work on the south side of Route 35 at Amboy Avenue, across from McDonald's. I'm optimistic that vehicles exiting Route 35 North at Cliffwood Avenue will be able to make their way without a struggle, but we have no details on the state's intentions for the intersection so far.

I have to say it's amazing how long it takes for such an endeavor to get started. I first reported on the impending project in this blog four years ago this week, but planning had been underway since at least 2006.

As for when the roadwork will be completed, I expect the bulk of the project will be done by the end of summer. The state initially budgeted through FY 2013 for this project, I believe, so presumably they are already late getting this done.

If someone knows more details or can refer me to a website with the information I'm seeking on the project, please be in touch.

History: Elmer H Geran, US Congressman and NJ Assemblyman (1875 - 1954)

Elmer Hendrickson Geran (24 Oct 1875 - 12 Jan 1954) was born in Matawan, the son of Charles A and Lydia (Hendrickson) Geran. He attended public school and the Glenwood Academy in Matawan, then graduated the Peddie School in Hightstown in 1895 and Princeton University in 1899.

Geran was living with his parents as a law student at their residence on Broad Street in Matawan in the 1900 Federal Census. His father sold merchandise, hardware and tools. Elmer's older brother Henry was a manager at the gas company. Elmer's grandfather, Cornelius Hendrickson, born Apr 1814, lived in the household.

Geran graduated the New York Law School in 1901. He passed the New Jersey bar the same year and joined the law firm of Collins and Corbin in Jersey City. He then established his own law firm in Jersey City in 1903.

A Democrat, Geran served in the state assembly (1911-1912), where he sponsored the state's direct primary law, ending party conventions for determination of candidates for office.

He served on the New Jersey State Water Supply Commission (1912 - 1915). In that capacity, he was among those appointed by Trenton Mayor Frederick W Donnelly, President of the New Jersey Rivers and Harbors Congress, as a delegate to the Atlantic Deeper Waters Association convention in Jacksonville, Florida 18 to 21 Nov 1913, according to the 15 Nov 1913 edition of The South Amboy Citizen.

He was assistant prosecutor in the Monmouth County Court of Common Pleas (1915-1917), then Monmouth County sheriff (1917-1920). In that job, Geran was living with his parents at 185 Main Street in Matawan in the 1920 Federal Census. His father was a real estate agent.

He was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson as US District Attorney for New Jersey (1920 - 1922). (Wilson's debilitating stroke occurred in 1919, so his appointment may actually have been made by Wilson's wife.) Geran resigned and formed a law firm in Asbury Park with Isaiah Matlack.

In 1922, Geran ran for the 3rd NJ Congressional District seat of T Frank Appleby, the Republican from Old Bridge. Geran won and served in the 68th session of the US House of Representatives (1923 - 1925), according to his Congressional biography.

T Frank Appleby defeated Geran in his re-election bid in 1924, but died before taking office. There was an eight-month vacancy before Appleby's son, Stewart Appleby, was elected to fill the unexpired term.

After his Congressional term of office ended in March 1925, Geran rejoined his law firm in Asbury Park. The firm was joined by Solomon Lautman.

The 1930 Federal Census showed him as a lawyer residing in the Union Hill section of Marlboro.

The 1931 Asbury Park city directory showed Geran's residence as on Woolleytown Road in Morganville. His obituary showed his residence to be a farm called Glen Geran. His wife was a dairy farmer in the 1930 Federal Census.

Geran & Matlack, then Geran, Matlack & Lautman were located at 504-509 Asbury Park Trust Company Building and 601 Mattison Avenue in Asbury Park, according to R L Polk Co city directories for 1922 (pg 556), 1924 (pg 642), 1926-27 (pg 784), 1928-29 (pg 764) and 1931 (pg 252).

The 1940 Federal Census showed him as manager of a sand and gravel plant and residing on Hodgner Road in Marlboro. His Wikipedia article says he worked for New Jersey Gravel and Sand in Farmingdale from 1927 until his death in 1954.

Geran was a member of the First Baptist Church of Matawan. He was a Mason, an Elk, and a member of several other civic organizations.

Geran's obituary appeared in the 14 Jan 1954 edition of The Matawan Journal, pp 1, 2. He is buried at Old Tennent graveyard in Tennent, NJ. His son, Charles Ackerman Geran, took over his father's farm, where prized Guernsey cows were raised.

A photo of Geran anyone?

History: Frelinghuyser Amendment to the Automobile Act of 1906 (1908)

The 13 Feb 1908 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 7) remarked that several NJ senators spoke ill of the prospects for the Ackerman Civil Service Act, being discussed in Trenton on 11 Feb 1908. (The bill passed the Senate as New Jersey's first civil service law, according to Scannell's New Jersey's First Citizens and State Guide (1917 - 1918), pg 1. Ernest R Ackerman (1863 - 1931) went on to serve in the US House of Representatives serving the NJ 5th District from 1919 until his death.)

The Journal (same article, pg 7) was much more interested in the NJ Senate's discussion of a proposed revision to fees associated with automobile inspection and registration and the licensing of drivers. (So that's when it started, eh?) Joseph S Frelinghuysen (1869 - 1948) proposed to amend the Automobile Act of 1906 to establish eight vehicle classes for vehicle registration and the licensing of drivers.

• First Class (1-10 horsepower) - $3.00 registration; $1.00 license
• Second Class (11-20 horsepower) - $5.00 registration; $2.00 license
• Third Class (21-25 horsepower) - $10.00 registration; $3.00 license
• Fourth Class (26-35 horsepower) - $15.00 registration; $4.00 license
• Fifth Class (36-50 horsepower) - $20.00 registration; $5.00 license
• Sixth Class (51-70 horsepower) - $25.00 registration; $10.00 license
• Seventh Class (71-90 horsepower) - $35.00 registration; $15.00 license
• Eighth Class (91-120 + horsepower) - $100.00 registration; $25.00 license

Cab companies could receive a blanket license if they served a ferry landing and they didn't travel more than a mile from the docks into the State.

The licensing of manufacturers would be eliminated because there was so much abuse of the law anyway. (What's the point if they won't adhere to the law? lol)

Motorcycles would have a $2.00 licensing fee.

Tourists would have to register their vehicles and pay for a license at 50 cents for each increment of six days they plan to visit, not to exceed thirty days in a year. (Can you imagine having to register your vehicle in every state you travel through? Now we just have tolls.)

The 9 Apr 1908 edition of The Matawan Journal praised Ackerman's honesty and his efforts to pass his Civil Service bill and condemned the evil machinations of bosses and their obstructionists inside the NJ Senate. Below is an excerpt from the Journal's editorial.

Ackerman'a Righteous Wrath

Senator Ackerman, of Union, an organization Republican but a clean man, is discouraged, disgusted, indignant and full of righteous wrath, because of the audacity, the insolent assumptions and the power of the bosses in matters of legislation. He declares that as things now stand at Trenton the Legislature might as well be abolished, for a commission of the political bosses could do the work just as well as the present body of lawmakers. In point of fact the bosses are legislating and the legislators are going through the motions like puppets, as the bosses pull the strings.

Senator Ackerman's indignation has been aroused primarily because of the treatment given his civil service bill. He spent much time and care in perfecting it, calling to his aid the best and most experienced counsel that could be obtained. No man sincerely desirous of abolishing tho iniquitous spoils system and establishing civil service in this State, as it has been established for many years in the United States Government, could find any fault with the Ackerman civil service bill. It was as nearly perfect as such a measure could be made; it was in direct fulfilment of the Republican platform p1edge, and the Senate passed it by an overwhelming vote.

But when it went to the House, "Davy" Baird and "Dory" Strong and the other Republican bosses began their iniquitous work. As Senator Ackerman says, it was impossible to find out just where they stood. They would say that if a certain provision was changed they would not oppose the bill, but when the suggested change was made they found other grounds for opposition, kept up an endless fight against the civil service policy, and finally defeated it.

History: New Jersey Bell Operator Job (1957)

The 10 Oct 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this advertisement seeking telephone operator applicants for New Jersey Bell:

30 DAYS: It's Jo Ann Lamberti's (left) first job. She's learning quickly the art of handling calls around the corner or around the world.

30 YEARS: The experience of chief operator Mrs Anne M Merchant (right) is invaluable in helping newcomers like Jo Ann become skilled operators.

Working together to bring people together. Youth and experience, like Jo Anne Lamberti and Mrs Anne M Merchant -- work together to bring you the advantages of modern phone service. Because of them you can be in touch with almost anyone, anywhere, any time.

It's a big job. One that keeps over 29,000 New Jersey men and women busy. And each year the team grows.

Would you like a telephone career? If so -- call your Chief Operator.

NEW JERSEY BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

History: Esso The Giant Power Fuel (1929 Advertisement)

The 16 Aug 1929 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the above advertisement for the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. The company was lauding the virtues of its Esso gasoline in what looks to me to be a rather sexually suggestive ad, both in wording and image.

I've rendered the text of the ad below:

ESSO THE GIANT POWER FUEL
Smoothes Out The Hill Roads And Gives You Greater Power

For Esso is a red giant for power. More pent-up energy than a swollen river or a cyclone. But Esso is flexible power. Throttle down to a lazy crawl. Or open up to seventy. It's all the same to Esso.

Of course, Esso has the best anti-knock qualities. But it does more than cut out motor "pings". Gives new life to any car.

And there is only one Esso - uniform in quality - sold at thousands of silver Esso pumps with Esso shields. You can't mistake the name or the results.

Esso contains tetra-ethyl-lead.

STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY

History: Advancement in Police Communications in Monmouth County (1936)

The 26 Jun 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal included this cover story about an advancement in regional police communications in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Hold First Tests Of Monmouth Police Radio; Success Reported
Mrs. Edwin C. Sloat Permitted To Make Several Of The First Few Calls; Matawan Chief Hears Wife's Voice While Cruising Near Matawan; Reception Perfect

The honor of being one of the first persons in the county to make a test call over WAKC, Monmouth County's new police radio, went to Mrs. Edwin C. Sloat, wife of the Matawan police chief Saturday afternoon.

Chief Sloat, a member of the three-man county police radio commission and instrumental in having the system installed, heard his wife's voice while he was cruising in a police car in Matawan. Mrs. Sloat was speaking into the microphone set up in the control room on the third floor of the court house at Freehold.

"WAKC, Monmouth County police radio located at Freehold, N. J., operating on a frequency of 3366 kilocycles. Test call for Chief Sloat. WAKC testing. Time 2:22 p.m.," were the words spoken by Mrs. Sloat to her husband.

Saturday's test broadcasts were the first in a series under direction of the Gamewell Co., Massachusetts, electrical engineering firm, which installed the $8,000 system. Mrs. Sloat was allowed to make several test broadcasts as she happened to be in the court house at the time.

Aside from the calls made to Chief Sloat, additional tests were made to other police officers in various sections of the county. Sherif George H. Roberts and Paul Watson, Fort Monmouth radio expert, received a number while cruising separately in the vicinity of Atlantic Highlands, Fort Monmouth, West Long Branch, Little Silver and other districts.

Everywhere in the county where test calls were received it was reported that they came thru clearly. To date no "blind spots," or areas where the announcer's voice can not be distinctly heard, have been encountered, according to reports.

Chief Sloat has been jubilant over the successful trial calls and is of the opinion that the successful operatlon of the county system will succeed materially in reducing the percentage of crime in Monmouth. Efforts will also be made to have police bodies in Middlesex and Ocean Counties tie-in with the Monmouth County system.

According to present plans the system will be operated twenty-four hours a day, with a time signal broadcast every thirty minutes. If a receiver in a police car or police headquarters does not sound this time signal on the thirty-minute periods the patrolman on duty is instructed to notify police headquarters.

Chief Sloat has indicated that one of the first results of the new system expected is to reduce the cost of theft insurance on motor cars in Monmouth County as much as $25,000 a year. The effect will also be noticeable in the outlying sections as the radio will permit a police car to be dispatched to those areas within several minutes after the alarm has been received.

Station WAKC will receive its police calls thru three telephone trunk lines leading from the principal districts of the county. A teletype of the state police system has also been installed in the broadcasting station and as reports are received over it they will be broadcast.

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

The Nov 1940 edition of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officers (APCO) Bulletin, pg 15, discusses the Monmouth County radio communications experiment in an article called New Jersey's Police Communications, by Lieutenant John E Murnane, Communications Officer, New Jersey State Police.

Gamewell Company is an earlier iteration of Gamewell Fire Control Instruments (Gamewell FCI) of Newton, Massachusetts. Gamewell is famous for its fire alarm systems.

History: New Jersey Bell Telephone Post-War Advertisement (Feb 1946)

The 28 Feb 1946 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the following post-war advertisement from the New Jersey Bell Teleephone Company.

 "Here Goes For Another Big Day on Long Distance"

You'd scarcely know the war is over. . . . the way long distance calls keep pouring into our switchboards. One reason is that New Jersey's Camp Kilmer is now the major debarkation center of the East and thousands of returning servicemen continue to make their "first calls home" over our lines. Business and personal calls, too, remain very heavy.

We're building additional circuits to help carry this load. Until they're ready, however, we hope you'll use Long Distance sparingly -- and be patient when your calls are delayed.

Listen to "The Telephone Hour"
9 P.M. Mondays, NBC

New Jersey Bell Telephone Company

YOUR COOPERATION IS A VITAL PART OF NEW JERSEY'S TELEPHONE SERVICE

History: NJ Bell Wartime Advertisement (1943)

The 2 Dec 1943 edition of The Matawan Journal included this advertisement encouraging telephone customers to avoid using long distance service in the evenings while American soldiers fighting the Second World War might be trying to call home from the war zone.

NJ Bell Telephone Co advertisement, 2 December 1943

Help Him Get A Line to Home

About the only time he can get to the telephone is a few short hours in the evening. That's when thousands of other boys in the camps want to use Long Distance, too.

Any time you are not on the lines, there's a better chance for a soldier's call to get through. Save those hours for the service men.

So unless it's urgent, we hope you won't be using Long Distance from 7 to 10 o'clock at night. 

NEW JERSEY BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY

History: New Jersey Bell Advertisement (Jun 1945)

The 21 Jun 1945 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this advertisement for New Jersey Bell. It asked their telephone customers to.be understanding when the long distance lines were particularly crowded with traffic. The ad said an operator might interrupt a long distance call under such circumstances to request the speakers to keep the conversation short. Here's the text of this ad:

Sometimes There's Quite a Crowd

Most of the time we can handle the thousands of Long Distance calls all right, but sometimes we need a little help from you.

That's when a Long Distance line is crowded and the Operator says -- Please limit your call to 5 minutes."

New Jersey Bell Telephone Company

NJ Bell advertisement, 21 Jun 1945, The Matawan Journal

History: Morganville Woman Fatally Beaten With Tree Limb in Matawan (1952)

The 28 Aug 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal reported the arrest of James King for the beating death of Mrs Mary Lee Vann, 38, who had lived with King for two years. The paper reported that King, Vann and two others had been returning from visiting a home on Texas Road when King became angry at Vann. He stopped the car on Mill Road in Matawan Borough, dragged Mrs Vann from the vehicle, punched and kicked her, then beat her with a 4-foot long tree branch. King put her back in the vehicle and continued to beat Vann until they arrived at their home. King carried her unconscious body to their apartment and put her to bed. A few hours later he found that she had died. He summoned a Matawan doctor, whom King told that Vann had fallen down the stairs. The authorities were summoned and the body was removed to Bedle Funeral Home for an autopsy. The article's accompanying photo showed King being interrogated by county and state law enforcement officials.

The 23 Oct 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1) provided the details of the crime as presented in the indictment.

The 30 Oct 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 10) reported that King was assigned counsel from Asbury Park. King entered a not guilty plea.

The 15 Jan 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1) reported that King changed his plea to non vult (no contest) at the recommendation of prosecutors and put himself on the mercy of the court. King claimed to have been drinking when he became violent without cause and beat Mrs Vann. He would be charged with manslaughter instead of murder and face a recommended sentence of 7 to 10 years.

The 5 Feb 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal reported his sentencing at Freehold to 7 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for the murder..

Free Smartphone App Guide to NJ Wildlife Released

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has developed a smartphone app that serves as a guide to finding the best spots to find our state's wildlife, whether you want to watch them frolicking in the wilderness or hunt them down with your weapon of choice and kill them. The press release reads, in part:

The free Pocket Ranger® New Jersey Fish and Wildlife application is a cutting-edge mobile app
that provides on-the-spot information on the state’s fish and wildlife species along with extensive
mapping of public open spaces, showing and providing site information on access points for
hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife watching.

Pocket Ranger has social networking capabilities, and provides an advanced map-caching feature
that allows users to continue to navigate even if mobile service is lost. In addition, advanced GPS
technology allows users to keep track of where they are, how far they’ve gone and to mark
favorite hunting spots, fishing holes or wildlife sightings.

History: Charles Appleby, Real Estate Tycoon, Dead at 89 (1913)

When the New York real estate magnate Charles Appleby died in New York City at 89, a brief obituary appeared on the last page of the 18 Dec 1913 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 8, col 5).  A Middletown, NJ native, Appleby maintained his New Jersey residency until he died.

Appleby was of local interest because his nephew, T Frank Appleby, was an Old Bridge native who had recently served as Mayor of Asbury Park. (A photo of his real estate agency in Asbury Park appears at Monmouth Plus.) He would later represent New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District (1921-23), lose the next election, then win his seat back in the 1924 election, but die before taking office. His son, Stewart H Appleby, would take his place in office (1925-27). The 3rd Congressional District would be Matawan's local district until 1993, the seat most recently held by James Howard (1965-88), and Frank Pallone (1988-93).

Appleby had an amazing sense for real estate. His holdings included exclusive properties along the edge of Central Park and on Riverside Drive. Appleby purchased farmland in Glen Cove, Long IslandNew York in the 1870's, according to Glen Cove Heritage. Just before he died, Appleby solidified his massive holdings on West 57th Street, according to the 7 Oct 1913 edition of The New York Times. At the end, he left a $50 million estate to his two sons, according to Dynastic America and Those Who Own It, by Henry H Klein, pg 37.

History: End of Prohibition, Formulation of Liquor Sales Rules in Matawan (1933)

According to the 8 Dec 1933 edition of The Matawan Journal (pp 1, 2), Matawan Borough was meeting to establish local liquor sale regulations and fees as Prohibition had come to an end.

• There would be 6 permits for taverns and bars (sales for use on and off premises) and 2 permits for liquor stores (sales for off premises only).
• Liquor dealers would have to be visible from the street, none in back rooms, etc.
•  Liquor dealers could be open from 7 am to midnight every day except Sundays and election days, when they must be closed.
• Those under the influence of alcohol would be prohibited from purchasing alcohol.
• Annual liquor license fees would only be available on 1 July 1934; in the meantime, fees would be pro-rated to $1/day for taverns and bars and $0.60/day for stores.

Weekday PATH Service to WTC Restored

PATH just announced that they are restoring weekday service to the World Trade Center on Monday 26 November 2012. Trains will run 5 am to 10 pm Monday thru Friday. So those riding the North Jersey Coast train who work in downtown Manhattan can once again get off at Newark Penn Station and ride the tubes to WTC. For further information, see Recent PATH Alerts.

History: Horse Car Railway Bill in New Jersey (1887)

Robert S Green, Governor of New Jersey (Wikimedia)

According to the 7 May 1887 edition of The Matawan Journal, New Jersey Governor Robert Stockton Green signed a horsecar railway bill on 30 Apr 1887. The article was mostly an opinion piece by the editor, who made vague complaints of unfair competition by Keyport against Matawan's potential interests in the development of a horse-drawn tramway in the Bayshore.

The 9 Apr 1887 edition had reported that the bill passed the Senate 14-0 and the Assembly 35-6. This second page item contained the full text of the bill.

The Horse-Car Railway Bill

     An act relating to the turnpike roads within incorporated towns and boroughs in this state.

    1. Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That any street railway company duly organized pursuant to the law may construct and with horses may operate street railways for the transporting of passengers and chattels for hire upon and along such portion of any turnpike road as enters and is located within the limits of any incorporated town or borough in this state, and upon and along such portion of such turnpike as extends outside such limits for the distance of thirteen hundred yards in either direction, after having obtained the consent of the owners of such turnpike so to do; provided that an ordinance or resolution authorizing the construction of such railway shall have been first passed or adopted by the commissioners of any such town or borough, and that the written consents of not less than two-thirds of all the persons owning lands abutting on such portion of such turnpike in each and every incorporated town or borough shall have been first obtained and filed in the office of the clerk of the county wherein such turnpike is situate.

Manchester, New Hampshire added horse car in 1877. (Wikimedia)

     2. And be it enacted, That any turnpike or plank road company may sell, convey, assign and by written instrument of conveyance transfer and set over to any such street railway company any such portion of any such turnpike or plank road, together with all rights, title and interest to and in such turnpike or plank road, together with all franchises and appurtenances thereto pertaining, including the right to impose and collect tolls thereon, whereof such turnpike or plank road company shall be seized, enfranchised or invested, and any such street railway company may purchase, acquire title to and hold and enjoy the same, and may become invested and enfranchised with, and may exercise all such franchises and rights to the same extent and fully and in similar manner as therefore held, enjoyed and exercised by such turnpike or plank road company and subject to the same penalties and liabilities thereto attached for failure to maintain such road in good condition and repair, provided that the provisions of this section shall not take effect until the provisions of the first section shall have been fully complied with.

     3. And be it enacted, That the track and road bed of any such street railway upon such turnpike road shall be constructed in such manner as shall offer no unnecessary obstruction to travel upon such turnpike, and where any repairs thereunto may afterwards become necessary, it shall be the duty of such street railway company to make the same without delay, and if not so made, and after five days' notice shall have been given to such company the commissioners of the town or borough which such repairs may be necessary may cause the same to be made at the expense and charge of such street railway company, and the property of such street railway company shall be liable to distraint therefor; nothing in this act contained shall apply to any street railway within any city of this state.

     4. And be it enacted, That all laws and parts of laws conflicting herewith, in so far as they conflict herewith, are hereby repealed, and that this act shall take effect immediately.