Morgan NJ Blog; Thomas Warne Museum and Madison Township Historical Society

There's a new blog at Wordpress dealing with the Morgan section of Sayreville, New Jersey. So far, Verne James has focused on historical topics, with lots of photographs and images of old maps and documents. Morgan's just up the road from Cliffwood on Route 35, north of Laurence Harbor.

The North Jersey Coast line runs through Morgan. That's the place where the lights sometimes go out in the train while crossing the trestle over Cheesequake Creek. The trestle, a railroad drawbridge, took quite a beating during Hurricane Sandy, leaving quite a mess in the storm's aftermath. Morgan is also the home of the Gillespie Munitions Plant explosion back in 1918.

In a recent post, Verne mentioned the Thomas Warne Museum, which is the home of the Madison Township Historical Society. (Madison Township was formed from part of South Amboy in 1869 and was renamed Old Bridge Township in 1975 to eliminate confusion with a Madison in Morris County, according to Wikipedia.)

The museum is located at 4216 Route 516, Old Bridge, NJ. Be sure to visit the museum (Fri noon to 4pm and weekends noon to 6 pm) and friend them on Facebook.

Delays Persist as NJ Transit Repairs Storm Damage Between Aberdeen-Matawan and South Amboy Stations

NJ Transit rail service has been particularly slow on the portion of the North Jersey Coast Line between South Amboy and Aberdeen-Matawan since Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to the Morgan draw bridge, signals, and tracks. A conductor told me last night that NJ Transit can only run one train at a time through this gauntlet but expects to have full service restored sometime early next year.

Click the following links to see NJ Transit's flickr photos of the damage to the Morgan draw bridge, photos taken on 31 October 2012. Or you can also view the slide show, which starts out with these same pics but moves on to other venues.

• Boat and container on the draw bridge
• Boat on the tracks
• Debris on the draw bridge
• Boats and containers on the bridge
• Boat on draw bridge
• Pile of boats on the draw bridge

History: County Bridge to Cross Raritan River at the Amboys (1902)

The 1 May 1902 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 4) announced that US Senator John Kean had recently presented the War Department with a plan for a bridge to be built across the Raritan River between South Amboy and Perth Amboy in Middlesex County. The bridge was to be built by the county for $150,000. The project required the approval of the War Department, the predecessor of today's Defense Department.

Completed in 1906, the County Bridge was the first vehicular bridge to span the Raritan River at Perth Amboy, according to a report on its replacement, the Victory Bridge (State Bridge No 1223-150).

The National Park Service describes the County Bridge in its Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No NJ-120 (see below):

The first vehicular bridge across the Raritan River at Perth Amboy was the County Bridge, opened to traffic on June 18, 1906. This bridge consisted of a steel draw span, a steel cantilever span, and a steel fixed span, each resting on concrete abutments. It extended across the river from the foot of Sheridan Street. The draw span, a Parker truss, measured 288 feet 4 inches long. The bridge approaches were laid on 168 timber bents (State Highway Engineer 1928:72).

The opening of the County Bridge was celebrated by a ceremony in which dignitaries boasted that its completion marked the union of North and South Jersey. The blowing of factory whistles and the rush of hundreds of pedestrians and vehicles highlighted its opening day. The bridge's dedication was marred by a slight mishap chronicled in the Perth Amboy Evening News:

"It had been planned to have the mayors of the two Amboys meet in the center of the draw and greet each other, but as the crowd choked the structure, the locks were seen to be working improperly and the throngs were ordered from the draw. ..where they waited within ten minutes of an hour, while those in charge endeavored to mend matters. The sudden heavy weight when the draw first swung to, probably had much to do with throwing the draw off center, it was stated.

"As the draw was finally swung for the second time after the crowds had waited almost an hour to recross, a thick plank on the bottom of the railing on the southerly side where the draw touches, was caught and split its entire length of almost twelve feet. This made those who had crowded out beyond the safety gates run and clamber for safety.

"As they heard the rending of the woodwork those who could not see the source were filled with fears that some of the structure was giving way.... (Anonymous 1906)."

{Ed: The 21 Jun 1906 edition of The Matawan Journal, which referred to it as the Amboy bridge, reported 500 people attended the event. The crowd rushed onto the draw before it had been properly locked, causing an hour's delay in the proceedings, according to The Journal, which also noted that Justice Fort had dismissed an injunction so that the opening of the bridge could take place.}

Almost from the time of its opening, the County Bridge was derided as a "white elephant." In a County Board of Freeholders meeting on April 6, 1916, Freeholder Alfred T. Kerr of South Amboy urged the construction of a new bridge using the existing draw span but with approaches rebuilt in steel. He predicted that the existing bridge would be unfit for traffic within five years. Another freeholder, William S. Dey, also of South Amboy, agreed that the bridge was in need of replacement but suggested that the new bridge be of concrete construction.

In 1919, as a precursor to funding of a new bridge, Senator Thomas Brown of Perth Amboy introduced legislation in the Senate to authorize the state to take over the existing bridge. At a December 1920 meeting of the State Highway Commission it was announced that a definite location for the proposed new bridge had been determined.

This announcement raised opposition from some Perth Amboy residents. Hearings were held concerning the proposed bridge location, the placing of city water mains on the bridge, and provisions for trolley tracks. As a result of these hearings, bridge planners decided that the north bridge approach would extend south from the intersection of Convery Place and Smith Street. Planners also agreed to include trolley tracks on the bridge. The latter decision became moot when the Jersey Central Traction Company, operators of the trolley system in the city, ceased operation (Anonymous 1953). 

Many Northern Monmouth/Middlesex County Residents Still Without Power Tuesday

Thousands of people in our area remain without power this morning, according to statistics published by First Energy Corp, the parent company of JCP&L. A quick drive around Cliffwood Beach yesterday afternoon revealed a number of generators humming and wires running from house to house to share power. We drove out to Chili's in Holmdel yesterday but the lot was empty. There was a sign out front that said they had no power. We drove to Applebee's in Middletown, which was open.

A partial list of outages as of 6:05 am today appears below:

• Aberdeen - 319
• Cliffwood - 16
• Cliffwood Beach - 984
• Freehold - 5,325
• Hazlet - 1,507
• Holmdel - 2,656
• Keansburg - 170
• Keyport - 212
• Laurence Harbor - 182
• Marlboro - 1,996
• Matawan - 4,741
• Middletown - 3,394
• Morganville - 2,326
• Old Bridge - 392
• Parlin - 266
• Red Bank - 3,725 
• Sayreville - 87
• South Amboy - 290
• Spotswood - 1,516
• Union Beach -18

South Amboy residents were still boiling their city water as of yesterday afternoon. The water main that broke was fixed by 1 pm yesterday, restoring water pressure.

Getting around was still difficult yesterday afternoon with traffic lights out of order at many intersections. Trees still hung across streets in Navesink and Navesink River Road was blocked, forcing us to drive across the Oceanic Bridge to Rumson. Trouble with the Lake Lefferts dam in Matawan caused the closing of a portion of Ravine Drive in Matawan.

History: Gillespie Munitions Plant Explosion at Morgan, Oct 1918

The 10 Oct 1918 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the front page story below about the wartime destruction of an enormous munitions depot in nearby Morgan, NJ on 4 October 1918.

Residents of Morgan flee to Perth Amboy. (Wikimedia)

US SHELL PLANT AT MORGAN GOES UP
EXPLOSION FOLLOWED EXPLOSION AT SHORT INTERVALS
Fire Followed and Probably 100 Buildings Used For Various Purposes Were Destroyed—Number of Killed and Wounded Unknown

At 7:45 o'clock Friday night an explosion occurred which shook the houses in this community and was felt for miles. Those who were out doors recognized that something had happened in the vicinity of the T. A. Gillespie Loading Plant at Morgan, the glare in the sky giving the location. In rapid succession one explosion followed another some being louder than others, and these continued at intervals all night and until about 2 o'-clock Saturday afternoon.

The company management threw out guards and prevented the thousands who were attracted by the noise from getting close to the plant.

The first explosion occurred in the Shell plant 6-1-1, located near the Cheesequake Road on the westerly side of the plant. This building is filled with girls and women during the day, and men at night. Various reports as to the number employed in this building give from 100 to 160 men and it is said only three of these escaped uninjured.

Physician and ambulance calls were sent to nearby towns and the hospitals at Perth and South Amboy were filled and about thirty persons were given treatment at Keyport, the Red Cross Room being fitted up with cots all of which were occupied and the dining room and parlor of the Mansion House were also fitted out with cots and occupants. The basement of the library was also utilized and about two dozen cots and mattresses put in readiness to receive patients, and five men were taken there, all suffering from shock. These men later in the day were removed to the Long Branch hospital.

At Keyport, Matawan, and South Amboy, and other places residents were ordered from their homes at 3 o'clock in the morning, and only about 100 of the 10,000 inhabitants of South Amboy remained in that city.

Through the night and Saturday frequent explosions occurred and these lasted as long as there was anything nearby to be fed upon. Probably 100 buildings were demolished by explosions or fire and the plant is practically a complete wreck, with an estimated loss of $20,000,000 to $30,000,000. Many carloads of shells were stored on sidings to be pulled out, but only a few got beyond the flame zone. How many were killed will never be known as only pieces of bodies will be found when the time comes for searching when the ruins are reached.

The explosions were felt as far as New York and for nearly fifty miles south. South Amboy suffered more than any other place by the explosions as many houses and stores were damaged almost beyond repair.

At Matawan and Keyport there was absolutely no business done. The residents were ordered out of their properties and the banks and stores were tenantless. Somewhat of damage was done to the businesses in both towns, Keyport suffering the most. Plateglass windows were also destroyed. Memorial windows in the Baptist and Methodist churches in Keyport and the Methodist church at Matawan were destroyed, causing several thousand dollars damage.

Soldiers and sailors under command of army and navy officers were placed all about the approaches to the plant, these coming from Keyport, Camp Vail, Red Bank, Sandy Hook, Perth Amboy, etc. . . .

20th Anniversary of Murdered South Amboy Child

The Newark Star-Ledger ran a story recently about Timmy Wiltsey, a 5 year old boy from South Amboy whose body turned up at Raritan Center. His mother, who said her son went missing at a local carnival, remains the prime suspect. She reportedly changed her story three times and confessed to filing a false report about being kidnapped by FBI agents.

The article's an interesting read. I still remember the news reports of the missing boy and the discovery of his body not far from where his mother used to work.

Timmy is buried at St Joseph's Cemetery in Keyport.

History: Construction of the Raritan River Railroad Bridge, 1874

 According to the 11 July 1874 edition of The Matawan Journal, the following railroad board members and other gentlemen boarded two train carriages on 7 and 8 July and visited South Amboy and Long Branch to weigh their options on two pending issues: construction of the Raritan rail bridge at one end and the extension of rail service from Long Branch to Ocean Grove at the other.

• John Taylor Johnson,  President of NJ Central;
• Sidney Dillon;
• Col. Ricker, Superintendent of NJ Central;
• A Reckless, President of the NY & LBRR;
• Col J Moore, Superintendent of the NY & LBRR;
• H S Little, Director of the NY & LBRR;
• G D White, Director of the NY & LBRR;
• N P Smith, Contractor of the NY & LBRR.

"The first object of inspection was the Raritan bridge. The spans ready to be placed on the bridge were timber. It was decided to take these and use them for other bridges, and substitute iron spans in their stead. This will make a continuous bridge, constructed entirely of wrought and cast iron, 1000 feet long -- one of the finest railroad bridges in the United States.

"It could have been finished much sooner if the wooden spans had been used, but the Directors feared that the number of canal boats, etc, coming down the Raritan might set fire to them and it was decided to construct the bridge so as to be fire-proof. This cannot be finished, with the wrought iron draw, before the last of April next, and by this time the entire road is to be completed so that trains can be run from New York to Long Branch."

The men decided to extend the line to Ocean Grove once the tracks were completed to Long Branch.

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.