History: Scotsman Marries Local Girl; Claims to be Oxford Grad and Play for Eagles (1935)

I came across an intriguing marriage announcement in the 5 Jul 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal. Mae Layton of Old Bridge, a grammar school graduate, would wed Neil O'Neil (sic), a Scot who had studied at Oxford. The son of Charles O'Neil (sic), Neil was a "professional soccer football player" working for the Philadelphia Eagles. I thought the whole thing curious, so I did some digging.

What I learned was that Neil O'Neill was born in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland on 3 March 1906, the son of John O'Neill. He emigrated to the US in early 1929 and made occasional trips back home to Scotland. I found a Neil O'Neill at the right age and birth place working as a factory machinist and boarding with a Scottish family in Detroit, MI in the 1930 Federal Census. By February 1935, Neil was a leather worker living with his Polish electrician friend, Frank Guscior, 101 South Walter Avenue, Trenton, NJ. The Scottish homestead between 1935 and 1960 was at 35 Rintoul Avenue, Blairhall, Fife, Scotland. By the 1950s, Neil had become a "fermenter operator." It must have been profitable work because he was took the kids (Maureen O'Neill DOB 21 Apr 1951 and John O'Neill DOB 12 Aug 1952) on the Queen Mary for a four-week stay in the United Kingdom.

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Neil O'Neill (33 Scotland) and his wife May (26 NJ) were in the 1940 Federal Census living in East Brunswick, NJ with children Neil Jr (4 NJ) and James (1 NJ). He was a cutter in a pocketbook factory. They both were living in Trenton, NJ five years earlier. She had completed 7th grade and he had completed four years of high school.

Mae Layton (5 6/12 NJ) was in the 1920 Federal Census living in East Brunswick, NJ in the household of her widowed father, Charles Layton, Jr (40 NJ). Her brother Charles (3 6/12 NJ) was also in the household. I found her father and brother in the 1930 Federal Census, but Mae wasn't in the household. Perhaps she was at boarding school?

Neil O'Neill (22 Scotland) was a miner from 32 Blairhall, East George, Fife when he sailed from Glasgow aboard the S S Cameronia on 23 Feb 1929. He was headed for New York and planned to reside in the US.

Neil O'Neill (28 Scotland) departed Glasgow, Scotland on 15 February 1935 aboard the S S Caledonia and arrived at New York on 27 February 1935. He was born in Denny, Scotland, the son of John O'Neill. Neil was a leather worker by profession and was being hosted by his friend, Frank Gusior (sic), 101 South Walter Avenue, Trenton, NJ.

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The only hint of European football, other than the marriage announcement, was when I looked up Denny in Wikipedia. Apparently the area has a team founded in 1888 called Dunipace Junior Football Club.  You can check out the club's history here.

So, if Neil played soccer in Scotland, he was very young, as he came to the US age 22, so he might have played a few years after high school. Whether or not he played professionally, I can't say. As a miner from Scotland with only four years of high school education, I doubt he attended Oxford. And making leather purses in Trenton, it seems unlikely he played professionally for the Eagles, but perhaps that was his hope. At 2 wins 9 losses, the Eagles had an abysmal 1935 NFL season, by the way.

If someone knows the back story on this, I'd be interested.

CORRECTION: I fixed the text to recognize that Maureen and John were children, not grandchildren, of Neil and Mae O'Neill. Thanks for the information.

Even Longer-Awaited Successor of Strathmore Swim Club

Put your swimsuit away. The Cambridge Club of Aberdeen, the long-awaited successor of the Strathmore Tennis and Swim Club on Lloyd Road, missed its planned (if vaguely scheduled) summer 2014 opening, according to the Asbury Park Press. In the meantime, the club wants you to fill out their membership form online and pay their $500 fee so you can "get in on the ground floor."

It'll be great, I'm sure. The Township says so. But the club's website is worryingly full of promised facilities, future amenities, and exclusive programs.  IMHO, it might be better to wait and see what develops and when.

History: Our Matawan Portfolio (1891)

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

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

NOTES

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

Matawan Faculty Take on Harlem Wizards Wednesday

The Matawan Regional High School junior class and basketball team have joined forces to host The Harlem Wizards for a fun-filled match against the faculty on Wednesday 3 April 2013 starting at 6 pm at the high school. General admission is $15 ($12 advance sale) or $12 for students and senior citizens ($10 advance sale). Come out and support the school and enjoy some great entertainment basketball.

Update: This event has been cancelled. The school hopes to reschedule.

Cambridge Club Construction Underway in Earnest

Serious construction work is finally underway on the Cambridge Club, which has long been planned for the site of the former Strathmore Bath and Tennis Club on Lloyd Road.at Cambridge Drive in Aberdeen. The project languished for several years after initial discussions of a 2011 deadline for completion. But all we saw was an idle site with occasional debris removal and tepid site preparation. Finally things seem to be underway in earnest. Perhaps the financial markets put a damper on the project? Glad to see work being done at last.

The contractor is PJR Construction. The developers are Frank and Tammy McTaggart-Ward. Architectural renderings and a dated discussion of the project are available in the Spring 2009 edition of The Aberdeen Update (pg 2).

History: Tennis in the Matawan Area (1887 - 1949)

Below are excerpts and summaries from a selection of articles from The Matawan Journal about tennis and tennis clubs in the Matawan area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The 16 Apr 1887 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 2 col 4, mentioned a local tennis club.

The 8 Jun 1889 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned lawn tennis off Main Street in Matawan. "The lawn tennis ground on the lot fronting Main street of the Chapman estate is a popular after-ten resort."

A new tennis club was being formed in Matawan, according to the 6 Jun 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal. "The court on the Institute Grounds will be put in shape, "a reference to the Glenwood Institute property. S H Eggleston was the grounds manager and Miss Simpson was secretary and treasurer.

According to the 20 May 1909 edition of The Matawan Journal, music was performed at Glenwood Hall to raise money for the tennis club but the event was poorly attended. The club subsequently voted unanimously to raise the admission fee from $2 to $3, according to the 4 Jun 1914 edition of the newspaper.

The 23 Apr 1914 edition of The Matawan Journal told of the formation of a new tennis club in Matawan. "New Tennis Club Organized. Those interested in the forming of a tennis club met at the home of F. H. Lloyd but Thursday evening and the following officers were elected:
President - F. H. Lloyd,
Vice-president — Kathryn H. Terhune,
Secretary and Treasurer — Wllson Hobrough.
Plans were made to fix over the old court and to make one or possibly two new ones on the west side of Glenwood Institute."

The Matawan Lake Committee, a group developing the plans for Lake Matawan and Lake Lefferts, was espousing the need for a boating and tennis club on lakeside property to help citizens to get out of their rut, according to the 10 Mar 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The 28 Apr 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 9 col 1) told of the formation of a new tennis club in Matawan. "A number of people interested in the formation of a tennis club met in the school parlors on Monday evening, nt which time an organization was perfected and the following officers elected: President, Elmore Katner; secretary, Lewis Bergen; and treasurer, Thomas Costello. The charter membership consisted of twenty-five people. Work will be started immediatetly on two courts to be constructed on the grounds adjoining P. J. Devlin's residence."

Tennis courts were built at the Cliffwood Beach seashore in 1929, according to Of Town and Field: Matawan and Aberdeen, by Helen Henderson, pg 101. (See Google Books)

The Hazlet Tennis Club held its regular meeting at the home of Winfield Maurer, according to the 1 Sep 1933 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 2 col 2. A tournament with Centerville Tennis Club would be held on 4 Sep 1933, part at Centerville and part on Hazlet's court. "Interest is running high in both clubs. . ."

The Matawan Tennis Club drew lots for an upcoming tournament, according to the 15 Jun 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 4 col 2. The article named players paired in competition. The Keyport Tennis Club defeated Middletown in a recent competition mentioned in the same paper, pg 6 col 4. The team was striving to restore interest in the sport locally.

The Cliffwood Tennis Club was soliciting for members, according to the 29 Jun 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 2 col 5. The club boasted modernistic courts near the Cliffwood Beach boardwalk that had cost $4,000 to build. Edward Wagner was the club's spokesman at the time.

The Keyport Tennis Club would begin the current season in early June on courts opposite Keyport High School, according to the 24 May 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal. The courts were in as fine a condition as they had been in two years, the paper said, adding that many locals were still signing up to play as interest in the sport continued to grow in the region. Preparation had involved three afternoons of practice per week for the past month.

The Keyport Tennis Club held its annual meeting at the Maple Place home of its president, Charles Moore, according to the 10 Jan 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal. The gathering was a party, with two tables of bridge and one table of pinocle. The club was limited to 25 members, with vacancies filled by election. The club met the first Friday of each month.

The obituary of Keyport Board of Education President Joseph D Bedle, which appeared in the 31 Dec 1942 edition of The Matawan Journal, noted that he "was a founder of the Keyport Tennis Club, which had courts on his property."

The Sugar Hill Tennis Club of Morganville held its party at the Texas Road home of Mr and Mrs John Gardner, according to the 24 Mar 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal. Mr and Mrs Harry Cooper, of Matawan, hosted the Sugar Hill Tennis Club on Saturday evening, according to the 7 Apr 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 5 col 3.

History: Matawan Journal Blurbs (2 Dec 1932)

A few small articles from The Matawan Journal's 2 Dec 1932 edition:

ESTABLISHES RIDING ACADEMY

"Ernest Peterson has established a riding academy in the service station back of the show room in the old Washington Market building. Matawan has developed many enthusiasts for riding in recent years which has prompted Mr Peterson to make the sport more convenient for them by having the horses near at home."

ABOUT 75 AT RABBIT SUPPER

"A number of Matawan people partook of the rabbit and roast pork supper served by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Cliffwood Fire Company in the fire house Wednesday night. About seventy-five persons were served."

"FREE to every subscriber who pays his subscription between now and Christmas we will give a box of Chritmas cards which regularly sell for a $1.00."

ROEBLING DIVORCED REPORTED CONFIRMED

"Mildred Kunath Roebling, who as a young girl lived in Matawan, filed suit for divorce on Saturday in Reno, Nevada against Siegfried Roebling, grandson of Colonel Washington Roebling, and who is vice president of John A Roebling Sons, famous bridge builders of New York and Trenton. She charged cruelty. Mrs Roebling is a society aviatrix, and while residing in Trenton made it a practice to fly her plane over Matawan very often, it being the home of her mother."

The 1920 Federal Census showed Mildred Kunath, age 14, living with her parents on Cheesequake Road in Madison. The text is difficult to read, so I can't figure out her father's name -- perhaps Anzo or Otto -- but her mother's name, Katherina, appears again in the 1930 Federal Census, also in Madison. The 1930 record said Katherina was still married, but her husband was not enumerated. Perhaps he was out of the country? The family had German roots. The newspaper made reference to Mildred's mother, so perhaps he had indeed died or left her? This is unclear.

New York Passenger Lists show the couple boarded the Majestic at Cherbourg, France on 25 September 1929 and arrived at the Port of New York on 1 October 1929:

• Siegfried Roebling, born 28 Dec 1890 (age 38) in Morris Plains, NJ
• Mildred Roebling, born 24 Dec 1905 (age 23) in Newark, NJ

The couple had been married a year and were living at 11 Belmont Circle, Trenton, NJ at the time of the 1930 Federal Census. Their property was worth $30,000. He was vice president of a company that made iron rope, perhaps for suspension bridges. They had a 34 year old English servant named Minnie Goodwin.

A family tree online shows Mildred remarried to a Watson Laurence Stillwaggon, was enumerated in Matawan in the 1940 Federal Census, along with Watson and a 3-year old daughter Margaret, and died in Winter Park, Florida on 28 March 1999. Watson was born  17 Sep 1906 in New Jersey and died 20 Feb 2007 in Eatontown, NJ.

SUPT J S MCCURDY TO DRAFT PLAN FOR A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL

The State of New Jersey passed a law on 2 May 1931 allowing schools to establish safety patrols to assist children negotiate automobile traffic as they make their way back and forth to school. The Matawan School Board discussed the issue. Board member James Van Brakle recommended that the school janitors help out with the traffic congestion outside the school at the end of the day, but Superintendent John S McCurdy wanted to pursue the safety patrol idea.

REPAIRS ARE STARTED ON LEFFERTS LAKE DAM

"Work on the repair of the dirt fill which forms a part of Lake Lefferts dam is under way. In order that the work might be carried on without delay it was necessary to lower the water level three feet. The repairs will consist in raising the road across the dam, known as Ravine Drive, eighteen inches and the placing of drains to carry off the water when it reaches more than its normal level. It is estimated the work will require several days.

The work is being done under the supervision of the borough and the Board of Freeholders."

Matawan Boys Track Wins Group 2 Championships

Congratulations to the Matawan Regional High School boys track team for winning first place at the NJSIAA Group 2 Championships in Toms River on Friday. They edged out Rahway, which had won the event the previous two years. Matawan won its first state relay last month. See NJ.com for details.

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
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It's All Downhill From Here

2012 Marching Huskies Have Winning Season

The Matawan Regional High School Marching Huskies did so well this year in marching band competition that they qualified to attend the Tournament of Bands 2012 Atlantic Coast Championships at Hershey Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the impact of Hurricane Sandy on our community kept the band from participating in those early November championships. Just another local victim of the storm.

On the bright side, congratulations to Livingston High School, which was able to compete and took the prize. And I recently heard that the Marching Huskies held a special performance of their championship show for parents and friends. Nicely done.

History: Matawan's Response to Johnstown Flood (1889)

The 8 Jun 1889 edition of The Matawan Journal included a supplement full of particulars on the 31 May 1889 flood at Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It also contained the following local blurbs:

• Mrs G D White is spending the week with her brother in Philadelphia.
• Peter V Hyer has purchased an elegant team of bays from Frank Bedle.
• The rails of the Keyport and Matawan street railway were cast at Johnstown.
• The US Express, by J S Harris, agent, will send packages or money free to Johnstown sufferers.
• Excellent music and literary exercises at the Reform Club meeting next Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock.
• We enjoyed a pleasant call from Mr William Reckless, son of the late Hon. Anthony Reckless, on Monday.
• The lawn tennis ground on the lot fronting Main street of the Chapman estate is a popular after-ten resort.
• John Albert has removed from Atlantic avenue to the house vacated by Edward Eastmond on Stilwell street.
• The June meeting of the Board of Chosen Freeholders will be held at the court house next Wednesday morning.
• Edward Eastmond has removed from Stilwell street to the house owned by Mr William Spader near the up town pottery.
• John Stephens is building quite an addition to his house near the junction of the Freehold turnpike with the road to Old Bridge.
• We are in the very cream of the strawberry season and are having a cream of a crop, and strawberries and cream are especially palatable.
• The Matawan Building and Loan Association held its regular meeting on Wednesday evening. $1,000 was sold at 1 per cent premium.
• Mrs Annie Pennington and Miss Emma Burnham, of Delaware, who have been visiting at the Presbyterian parsonage, returned home on Monday.
• The Union News Co will erect a news stand at Matawan station, similar to the one at Red Bank and those being built at South and Perth Amboy.
• Mr E S Hammell, editor of the Jamesburg Record, with his wife and child, spent from Saturday to Monday as guests at the residence of Mrs D I Stilwell.
• Commencing next Saturday June 15, the steamer Minnie Cornell will leave New York every Saturday at 9:30 pm. On the other weekdays she will leave at 4 o'clock.
• E I Brown will open in a few days in the store room formerly occupied by George B Shepherd as a furniture store, No 10 Commercial Block, with a large stock of new carriages, wagons, etc.
• An effort is being made to secure a post office at Mount Pleasant, and it is proposed to name it Freneau, after the Revolutionary poet, Philip Freneau, who lies buried on the Hyer farm at that place.
• J L M Dominick, agent for Adams Express Company, will receive and ship FREE to the flooded districts, any clothing, potatoes or other articles not perishable. They can be left at his express office, or he will call anywhere in Matawan.
• The funeral services of the infant child of Mr and Mrs John S Woolley took place at the residence of the parents, upper part of Main street, at 3 o'clock last Sunday afternoon, and were conducted by Rev Mr Chattin. The remains were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery.
• On Tuesday evening, at the regular meeting of the Washington Engine Co, Garrett Hendrickson was put in nomination for Chief of the Fire Department. Matawan Truck Co on Wednesday evening nominated Isaac T Rue. The two companies will meet this Friday evening to elect.

Huskies Boham Takes 1st Place in Triple Jump at South Plainfield

Congratulations to Matawan Regional High School girls track's Gaynelle Boham, who took first place in the triple jump in NJSIAA Group 2 championship competition at South Plainfield on Saturday 2 June 2012. Ms Boham achieved a distance of 38' 10.5". (Source: nj.com)

Matawan Boys Track Wins at 2012 Rebel Relays

The Matawan Huskies boys track team won the Division I title at the Rebel Relays in Howell on Saturday, according to APP.

History: Girls Soccer Begins at Matawan High School (1930)

1930 Florida State Girls Soccer Team (Flapper Girl)

I stumbled upon this article (below) from the 17 Oct 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal marking the beginning of girls soccer at what was then Matawan High School. No doubt the school board saw no harm in letting girls play this odd European sport in gym class since it was so cheap. Give 'em a ball and let them have at it.

The newspaper, on the other hand, seems to have seen soccer's prospects as a (boys) varsity sport before the school did, as the paper compared soccer's cost to that of football and hockey. No telling if either the school or the paper expected it to become a girls varsity sport. Girls were already playing in college. (see photo above from Florida State's 1930 yearbook.)

Ah, Title IX! So important to girls sports. I have my doubts that MRHS complies, given how much they spend on football, but the situation is much better than it was 80+ years ago. Baby steps, I guess.

MATAWAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS PLAYING SOCCER

The girls of Matawan High School are getting much enjoyment and physical activity out of a new game, soccer. Soccer is a very active, healthful and interesting game, and the girls are rapidly learning the rules and technique in their physical education classes and in practice after school hours. It is hoped that soon, soccer may become a varsity sport with some keen competition between the high schools of our area. Soccer is less expensive than hockey or football and affords activity for twice as many as basketball.

APP Sports Highlights MRHS Girls Soccer Coach Ken McCabe

The Asbury Park Press has highlighted Ken McCabe, Matawan Regional High School's girls soccer coach, as one of the region's stars.

Huskies Football: The Next Act Should Be Contrition

In a recent opinion piece, The Newark Star-Ledger's Steve Politi contrasted the polar responses of the Wayne Hills and Matawan-Aberdeen communities to the Bad Boys behavior recently displayed by members of their football teams.  He criticized Wayne Hills and applauded Mat-Ab for their approaches to the discipline dilemma. "In Matawan, they’ve taught their teenagers that there are consequences when rules are broken, and that protecting the integrity of an institution is far more important than hanging a silly banner on the gymnasium wall. What, exactly, were they teaching in Wayne Hills?"

North Jersey complained about the Wayne Hills approach over a week ago, saying, "[The Wayne Hills football coach] fought to have [his team] play in the run-up to the big game, making an emotional appeal at a recent board meeting to which he brought 60 uniformed players. It was then that the board stayed the decision of its own superintendent and let the accused play. Town and school leaders were largely silent during the ensuing controversy. Many of the coach’s fans in town rallied around the team, but the incident drew a raft of negative comments and media attention from around the country as Wayne became a local touchstone for a national conversation on the culture of football at schools."

The Matawan players' misbehavior was only recently revealed by the Manasquan Police to have been a bit more criminal and little less silly than Coach Martucci had been letting on. After all, breaking into student lockers and stealing things at a host school isn't aggravated assault, but it isn't filling a favorite teacher's car with bubble gum either.

So congratulations to our local school district for disciplining those players and to the public for its toleration of their actions. But to borrow Mr Politi's question, I must ask "What are we teaching here?" This can't be the end of the story. Missing some footballs games should only be the beginning of the Matawan players' penance given their sins. After all, theirs was an act of contempt for authority, different only in degree from the demonstration of hostility towards the Aberdeen Police by a menacing group of MRHS students that occurred back in October. Let's hope MARSD has concrete plans for a more direct response by those involved. Perhaps compulsory community service next summer in Manasquan would express adequate contrition?

Huskies Doing Great - Fall 2011

Matawan Regional High School has been very competitive this fall. The Lady Huskies won sectionals in soccer for the first time ever, according to Freehold Patch, and came really close to advancing to the state championships. The Marching Huskies came in third in Tournament of Bands competition at Hershey. And the Huskies football team just beat the Manasquan Warriors in the Central Jersey Group II semifinals, according to The Mat-Ab Patch, which has a lengthy article with photos and statistics.

Graduates from Matawan have gone on to do well in college as well. Native Robin Anderson is a freshman on the UCLA tennis team. The Daily Bruin recently posted an article and great photo identifying Robin and a teammate as Double Trouble after their victorious first doubles match for the Bruins. And Kyle Hardy is a sophomore playing football at C W Post on Long Island. Kyle is a successful wide receiver who is studying criminal justice, according to the Pioneers' website. Kyle caught a 38 yard touchdown pass on 5 November 2011 to put the Pioneers on top at the half against Cheyney and ultimately win the game that week. And there's Brandyn Curry, a junior point guard for the Harvard Crimson. Brandyn was a rising star in football, basketball and baseball at Matawan, according to the Crimson website, but his parents' divorce prompted a sudden move to North Carolina before he could achieve a quarterback and/or point guard position for the Huskies. But he did well at his new school and recruiters came a-knocking.

Congratulations to Huskies everywhere.

MRHS Marching Band Comes in 3rd at Hershey Stadium

Matawan Regional High School's marching band came in third in the 2011 Atlantic Coast Group 2 Competition at Hershey Park Stadium on Sunday evening, according to the Tournament of Bands. Congratulations!

History: Bowling in Keyport, 1954-1955

According to the 12 May 1955 edition of The Independent, a new 20-lane Bowl-O-Drome being built on Route 35 near the Keansburg Gateway in Middletown would replace the Keyport landmark known as the Raritan American Legion Post No 23 alleys. With air conditioning in summer, a lunchroom in the lobby and a meeting room for club gatherings, the new alleys were prompting leagues from Long Branch, Red Bank, and Keyport to sign up. They alleys would continue to have pin boys setting the lanes in the back, but new underground ball returns would prevent disturbance of bowlers' concentration. Dom Lafayette, the owner of the Keyport alleys, was partnering with Lupe Ruffini of Red Bank in the new enterprise, which was expected to open in August.

A year earlier, there were 6 columns of bowling teams listed on the next to last page in the newspaper. The page was nearly filled with team and individual player names, game scores and set totals, and standings. Bowling was a big deal in the 1950's and nearly every shop in town had a team, or two, or three. Here are the leagues and teams:

The Keyport Businessmen's Bowling League: Keyport Radio & TV, McQueen's Cleaners, Keyport Jewelers, Burlew's Restaurant, Keyport Cleaners, Tourine's Tavern, Montagna's Sunoco, Garber Supply, Cliffwood Inn, Varlese's Construction, Keyport Bar, Pete's Tavern, Walt's Tavern, Mike's Esso, Single System, and Rollo Trucking.

The Matawan-Keyport Merchants League: Burlew's Restaurant, Frank's Barber Shop, Regan's Bar, Cliffwood Amoco, All-Bros. Woodworking, OK Sales and Service, Cliffwood Fire Co, Cliffwood Angels, Crate's Beverages, Keyport Diner, Wehrle's Dairy, Consolidated Fuel, Rapolla's Market, Jag's Sport Goods, DeLuxe Cleaners, Anchor Inn, Walling's Market, Old Mill Dairy, Schank's Oil Heaters, and Mat-Key Rec.

The Key-Mat Church Bowling League: Calvary Methodist, Bayview Presbyterian, Gethsemane Lutheran, Matawan Presbyterian, Matawan Methodist, Keyport Reformed, Hebrew Congregation, Keyport Baptist, St John's Methodist, and Matawan Baptist.

The Mat-Key Mixed Sunday Night League: LaZare's Shoes, Mat-Key Rec, Keyport Diner, Jim's Bar, C F Bahrenberg Market, Oswald Seafood Market, Bayshore Stationers, Bayshore Hardware, Hollywood Service, and Keelan's Bar & Liquor.

Keyport Recreation League: Tetro's Bar, Rose Hill Trucking, Martini's Diner, Aumack's Furniture, John's Bar, Dixie Lee, Brentwood Hotel, and Burlew's Restaurant.

Keansburg Ladies Monday Night League: H Wasserman & Son, Gentile's Market, Pete's Inc, Keyport Recreation, Mat-Key Recreation, H L Scott's, Marquet's Pharmacy, Richard's Hollywood Market, Keansburg News, and Louis' Restaurant.

Keansburg Businessmen's League: Andy's Station, Thompson's Sweets, Central Tavern, Crate's Beverages, NJ Shore District, Harold's Garage, Ambrosino's Farm Stand, and Consolidated Fuels.

Middletown Bowling League: King's Hardware, VanNortwick Bros, Port Monmouth First Aid, Mack's Oil Delivery, Mallett's Builders, Giles Market, Prestage Plumbers, Noble's Service Station, Brady's Sport Club, and Beacon Beach Assn.