History: Green Acres Project Planned for Cliffwood Beach (1976)

The 29 Sep 1976 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2) contains the following article that both laments the lost glory of Cliffwood Beach as a popular beach resort and boasts of plans for a Green Acres project to make a park with tennis and basketball courts and other amenities just off the beach.

I moved to Cliffwood Beach two years after this article was published. The park project was all that was described in the article and more, with basketball courts, fenced-in tennis courts, bocci ball frames, swings, slides and climbing toys  for children, and a small recreation building for a recreation manager to provide equipment by the hour. There was a new sloping lawn, parking lot and paved pathways intersecting the property. Bird watching signs were placed along a paved shore path near Treasure Lake to encourage nature enthusiasts.

The beach area was rather isolated, though, so it became a place for people to hang out after hours. While much of the activity was innocent, being mostly out of sight led to graffiti, destruction of equipment and property, other crimes, and frequent visits from the police. The bird watching signs were defaced and torn off their posts. Eventually the recreation building had to be torn down, the tennis courts were converted into a street hockey court and then abandoned, and new swings and recreational equipment and a beach volleyball area were added. The seawall -- already in existence by 1976 -- was made into a promenade a few years ago, with formal access from the harbor end of Cliffwood Beach.

Sandy flooded the area, bringing with it a heavy coating of the dune sands pushed off the beach and onto the basketball courts. The ground in the park became spongy and alkali. The paved walks were submerged in muck and mostly unseen. The storm also changed the effect of the tides on the park -- tidal flooding began to fill the roadway and low lying parkland with frequent surges of seawater and even actual waves. The seawall promenade and the land behind it were pounded and some sections undercut, lifted and cracked by the raging Raritan Bay, but the walkway mostly survived.

The article below starts out with local residents' reminiscences and local impressions of life in Cliffwood Beach. They offer their personal theories of how the resort, built in the 1920s, had been left untended and for the most part disappeared fifty years later. The article ends with local officials discussing the planned creation of an adjoining park that rose and has mostly fallen during the ensuring 40 years.

Can Cliffwood Beach Recapture Glory of Past?

MATAWAN TOWNSHIP

You wouldn’t know to look at it, but Cliffwood Beach was once one of the garden spots of the Jersey shore.

Now all that remains of the boardwalk is a line of forlorn black pilings poking their heads above the waves. The dance hall has vanished without a trace. And the salt water swimming pool resembles a giant concrete planter for reeds and brush mysteriously deposited in the high ground above the shoreline.

The swimming beach has been eroded away and most of the fossil-rich cliffs have fol­lowed them , blasted by storm-driven waves on one side and undermined by septic tank seepage on another.

Treasure Lake is still there, but the water is shallow, stag­nant, and slick with algae.

Some Cliffwood Beach resi­dents remember the glory days, before harsh weather and public and private neglect took their toll. Mrs. Mardell “Mardy” Edwards, Woodmere Drive, rummaged through her keepsakes to dig out a sheaf of old Cliffwood Beach postcards.

“ I ’m not really an old-tim­er," Mrs. Edwards said. “I’ve only been here 27 years. But it was beautiful, really some­thing. Now you can see what neglect can do.”

The postcards might have come from another world. Still fresh with the pastel colors of 40 years ago, they depict clean beaches, wide boardwalks, a bustling pool scene, rowboats on a tree-shaded lake, and an elegant dance hall.

“People who drive by this area on the highway have no idea of the resources that are available,” Mrs. Edwards said. “ The beaches around here, years ago, were poor man’s paradises.”

A neighbor, Mrs. Alex Mose, was a regular summer visitor to Cliffwood Beach before moving here 16 years ago.

“We had homes up on the cliffs, and you could see all the way to New York ,” she re­called . 

“There was dancing in the casino, bungalows every­ here. But the people at the helm were asleep at their posts, and they let the beach go to pot. You can’t imagine what we had here at one time.”

“They didn’t think too much of maintaining the area for the future as they did of develop­ing it for the present,” Mrs. Edwards said. “There was al­ways a lack of maintenance and then we had a big building boom in the 1950s.” 

The building boom, she con­tinued, brought unexpected problems. “We have clay soil around here, and most of the houses built then had septic tanks,” she said. “ Clay soil doesn’t go with septic tanks. The tanks seeped and the cliffs were washed out from under­neath.”

Over the years, Mrs. Edwards said, hurricanes caused damage to the area that was never repaired.

“The salt water pool was bulldozed over after storms cracked it ,” she said, “ and the waves carried most of the beaches out to sea. A lot of the bungalows were washed away and so was most of Cliff­wood Drive .”

Nature, however, has not been the only destroyer.

“The new sea wall is already decorated with brok­en beer bottles,” Mrs. Edwards said. “Nobody goes swimming barefoot anymore. We keep a garbage can down there by the water’s edge, but people throw the bottles any­way.

“Then there’s the eternal battle to try to save the horse­shoe crabs,” she went on. “Some people think they’re doing us a favor by killing them, and we tell them, ‘Next time bring the crabs home and let ’em decay under your windows, and you’ll see how much of a favor it is.’"

Some people believe—and they’re wrong—that you can get stung by the crab’s tail, but  nobody’s ever hurt. By broken glass, yes; but by the horseshoe crabs, no.”

Although the story of ne­glect in Cliffwood Beach is a sad one, Township Manager Donald Guiuzzy said Matawan is hopeful of doing much to restore the area.

A sea wall has already been built to protect the land against the waves, and an earthen slope has been raised behind the wall.

“We hope to finish our slope protection project by mid-Oc­tober,” Guiuzzy said. “We’re planting grass, some flowers, and crown vetch to stop ero­sion.”
 
The next phase of the overall project, he said, will be to install recreation facili­ties, including four tennis courts, shuffleboard and bas­ketball courts, chess and checkers tables, perhaps bocci and horseshoe pits, a parking area, walkways, and “tot lots” for small children. Guiuzzy said the phase should be finished by spring.

“The recreation phase is all funded by state and federal grants,” he said. “We went out and aggressively tried for grants, and we got them.”
 
Guiuzzy said projects for restoration of the beach itself “look good for approval” by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We want to restore one mile of bathing beach,” he explained, “and we hope we can start doing it in the winter. So far, we’re four years ahead of schedule. We’ve shown some of our plans to the engineers and gotten some very favorable reactions. We think they’ll help us.” 
 
Half of the cost of restoring the beach, Guiuzzy said, would at first be funded by the federal government and half by the township. Ultimately, he said, the township hopes to secure 10 percent of the cost from the county and 25 percent from the state. 

“There’s a lot of potential," Guiuzzy said. “ For instance, we’d like to cooperate with Old Bridge Township to create a marina on Whale Creek, right on the county line , financed by the Corps of Engineers. I think that would be a great joint project for the two townships.”

Guiuzzy said he didn’t know if the area could be restored to all its former splendor as a resort site.

“It’s difficult to make a prediction like that,” he said, “But one thing I do know: we’re making it a lot better than it is now."

Cliffwood Beach Park

It might be a good idea to put up some barriers to keep people from driving anywhere they want inside the Cliffwood Beach park. I saw three vehicles drive from the Whale Creek entrance, across no man's land and off the curb to the parking lot. And you can see from the photograph above that some people are having fun making ruts in the grass after it rains. A little investment in guard rails might do the trick.

The edge of Whale Creek has become a Skidoo launch and playground. There are always pick up trucks and jet ski enthusiasts at creekside. People have a right to have fun, no doubt, but they shouldn't be oblivious to nature around them. Loud partying, blasting radios, revving jet ski engines and shooting spray in the creek are making a nearby nesting pair of osprey very nervous. The level of activity seems more appropriate for the bay.

After last week's annual extralegal fireworks extravaganza at the beach, I'm surprised the osprey have stuck around.

Up The Creek Tavern Being Rebuilt in Keyport

The Up the Creek Tavern, a favorite among boaters at Keyport Marina, was severely damaged in Superstorm Sandy and had to be demolished. Good news is that the tavern is being rebuilt. If you drive by along Amboy Avenue from Cliffwood Beach or cross the bridge on West Front Street from Keyport, you will see a set of tall, cinderblock posts sticking up like soldiers in a vacant lot next to the marina. The building will sit high above the tide. (Let's hope the parking lot gets a bit of a lift as well.)

The 28 May 1970 edition of The Matawan Journal contained a photograph of the grand opening of Up The Creek Tavern on Friday 22 May 1970.

UP THE CREEK OPENS - Matawan Creek, that is. The grand opening of the new inn took place Friday at 5 pm at the West Front St, Keyport establishment. Shown at the ribbon cutting ceremonies are, from left, Pete Peterson, Mayor Robert Strang, Walt Steager, and Jim Dickerson. The three co-owners, and the mayor, were on hand to greet some of the hundreds of the well wishers during the grand opening. 

The 30 Jul 1970 edition of The Matawan Journal carried the above advertisement for Up The Creek Tavern and Marina on West Front Street at the bridge in Keyport. The ad listed Jim Dickerson, Pete Peterson, Walt Steager and Harry Ross (Manager).

The 20 Dec 2011 edition of The Matawan-Aberdeen Patch included an obituary for James M Groome, owner and barkeep at Up The Creek restaurant in Keyport.

The Keyport Marine Basin has a news page that says "an all new Up The Creek Tavern is in the works. It will be higher and dryer." The marina has kept the tavern's Without a Paddle Grill and Catering menu on their site.

A Kayak's View of the Matawan Shark Attacks

A few years ago, a kayaker made the two videos below on a stretch of Matawan Creek near Dock Street in Matawan. The site, which is circled in light blue on the map above, is behind Aby's Restaurant and Key Autobody, et al, which are just across Main Street from the big railroad parking lot where the flea markets are held.

The videos claim to show the place where Lester Stillwell and Stanley Fisher were killed in a vicious shark attack in July 1916. And they show the spot where they claim Lester's body was recovered.

The second video shows a lot of pilings in the creek at low tide. Most of those are what remains from the old railroad trestle fire of 1946. The land was built up to the north of Aberdeen Road to replace the trestle, leaving a small outlet through which Matawan Creek now flows.

Matavan (detail), Wolverton's Atlas (1889)

The other pilings shown in the second video are the remains of the old steamboat landing at Dock Street. The creek was more substantial before two dams were built, an earthen roadway was built to convey the railroads, and the Garden State Parkway came along. The creek was wide and deep enough for the propeller steamboat S S Wyckoff to convey passengers and goods between New York City and Matawan in the 19th century. Multiple brickyards were built along the creek to facilitate shipping of their goods.

The Scots Presbyterians landed at Matawan Creek in the 17th Century and established a number of churches in the area, including communities at Wickatunk, Old Tennent, and Mount Pleasant (the present day First Presbyterian Church of Matawan).

The original local articles about the attacks are available online. The 13 Jul 1916 edition of The Matawan Journal contains the breaking news and the local response. The 20 Jul 1916 edition has reporting on the funeral of Stanley Fisher and the discovery of Lester Stilwell's body.

See more details of old local maps from Wolverton's Atlas here.

Matawan Creek (1)

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Matawan Creek (2)

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?

History: Henry E Ackerson (1880 - 1970) Clears Legal Hurdles for Matawan to Create Artificial Lakes (1915)

The 20 May 1915 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that New Jersey State Senator Henry E Ackerson, Jr, introduced a bill in Trenton that would allow municipalities to build and maintain artificial lakes in their communities. Matawan's legal counsel Elmer H Geran helped draft the bill, apparently with Lake Matawan and Lake Lefferts in mind.

Henry Elijah Ackerson was born on a dairy farm in Holmdel, NJ on 15 Oct 1880, son of Cornelius and Anna B (Stillwell) Ackerson. (He was the namesake of his paternal grandfather, which should have made him Henry II, not Henry, Jr.) About 1890, the family moved to Raritan (Keyport), where Henry graduated from Raritan High School.

In the 1900 Federal Census, Cornelius had a job as a bank cashier and sons Henry (19) and Cecil (12) were in school. (Henry's obituary said Henry briefly clerked at People's National Bank in Keyport.) Henry graduated New York University Law School in 1902 and passed the New Jersey bar in 1904. Cornelius was still at the bank in the 1910 Federal Census, and his sons were both lawyers in his Keyport household.

Henry married Edith D Calef about 1912. Edith was born in Connecticut to Connecticut parents, and  she bore sons Cornelius and Calef in her home state. Henry was tied to New Jersey, so it seems unlikely they were living there. This suggests that Edith delivered her children at her parents' home in Connecticut.

Henry served in the NJ Senate (1915 - 1919), according to the NJ Historical Society Biography Index.

He was appointed to the newly-created Court of Errors and Appeals in 1919, according to his obituary. The 1920 Federal Census showed Henry and Edith with sons Cornelius (7 CT) and Calef (3 CT). Henry was listed as a judge in the court of errors in that record.

Their son Calef D Ackerson (1916 - 1920) died soon after the 1920 census and was buried at Holmdel Cemetery, according to Find A Grave.

Henry was appointed to the Hudson County Circuit Court in 1924 and served there until 1948. The 1930 Federal Census listed him as a judge in the circuit court. He and his wife, Edith (44 CT) were living in Keyport with their son Cornelius (17 CT) and Edith's mother, Laura Calef.

When he registered for the World War II draft in 1942, Henry was working for the "New Jersey Court House" at the "Hudson County Court House" in Jersey City. He was 61 years old and living at 116 Maple Place in Keyport with his wife Edith.

Henry served on the NJ State Supreme Court (1948 - 1952), according to his obituary and the NJ Historical Society Biography Index.

After his retirement from the court, Henry served as a Rutgers University trustee until his death. As chairman of the law school committee for 15 years, Henry spearheaded the building of a modern structure on the Newark campus dedicated to the study of law. What became known as Ackerson Hall served as the home of the Rutgers School of Law from 1965 to 1979, according to a 2008 centennial history of the law school. The building currently houses the Rutgers University College of Nursing.

Henry also served on the board of governors of Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for nearly two decades and was honorary vice president of the board at the time of his death.

Henry died on 9 December 1970 at the Arnold Walter Nursing Home in Holmdel, according to his obituary in the 11 Dec 1970 edition of The Red Bank Register. His final arrangements were handled by Bedle Funeral Home and his funeral was conducted on 13 December 1970 at the Reformed Church in Keyport. He left son Cornelius and grandson Henry E Ackerson, III.

Henry's wife, Edith (1885 - 1969)  predeceased him a year earlier. She was buried at Holmdel Cemetery in Holmdel, NJ.

Henry, his brother Cecil (1887 - 1963), and their parents Cornelius (1852 - 1921) and Anna (1852 - 1929) are all buried at Holmdel Cemetery in Holmdel, NJ.

Beach Cleanup Set for Saturday 26 April 2014 - Cliffwood Beach and Other Sites

Clean Ocean Action (COA) will be hosting its semi-annual Beach Sweeps in our area next Saturday morning, 26 April 2014, from 9 am to 12:30 pm. Be sure to volunteer! Bring gloves, hard-soled shoes or boots, and dress for the weather.

You will find volunteer team leaders at our regional rally points as designated below. Click here for many other rally points in New Jersey, sorted by county.

• Aberdeen - Fishermen's Parking Lot at Cliffwood Beach (see detailed map at bottom)
• Keyport - Cedar Street (First Street at the waterfront)
• Middletown - Leonardo Public Beach South (at Beach Avenue)
• Middletown - Ideal Beach (at Ocean Avenue and Bayside Parkway)
• Middletown - Bayshore Waterfront Park
• Old Bridge - Pirates Cove section of Old Bridge Waterfront Park (Raritan and Ocean Boulevards, Cliffwood Beach) (see detailed map at bottom)
• Red Bank - West end of Locust Avenue
• South Amboy - Fisherman's Beach
• Union Beach - Front and Florence Avenue

Fishermen's parking lot at Cliffwood Beach is accessible by taking Cliffwood Avenue north, left on Greenwood Avenue, right on Lakeshore Drive, and a right into the lot (red arrow, above). Old Bridge's Pirate Cove beach sweep is being held just across the Whale Creek bridge on Ocean Boulevard (blue arrow, above). Both sites are accessible from Route 35.

Beach Sweeps at Cliffwood Beach in previous years.

What Next For The Cliffwood Beach Waterfront?

Mayor Fred Tagliarini had a close call in the recent election and wondered aloud on election night whether he needed to do a few things he promised but didn't delivered on, one of those being the Cliffwood Beach Waterfront revitalization. He pointed out that there's no point to fixing up the place if it is going to continue to flood, something I agree with.

Councilman Greg Cannon announced a development project to deal with the flooding of the beach onto Lakeshore Drive by improving drainage and engineering the dunes to withstand storms, things that the township might be able to get state or federal funding for but seem wishful thinking, engineering wise.

The roadway and park are literally immersed in a flood zone and nothing short of a seawall is going to keep out the Raritan Bay. And not for the long term, even with a concrete structure. The tide has been cutting a path towards Greenwood Avenue and regularly floods the woods behind the homes there. After Sandy and Irene, people were kayaking on Lakeshore Drive. No mound of sand, no matter how well engineered, is going to keep out the bay.

It might be time to start pondering a different approach to the beachfront. Perhaps a new bridge to connect Greenwood Avenue with Ocean Avenue? A bridge could provide secure vehicle transportation between Monmouth and Middlesex counties. It could also support a walkway/bike path connecting the Laurence Harbor seawall with the Cliffwood Beach seawall, eventually linking them to the Hudson Trail at Keyport. At the same time, we could develop a saltwater marsh at Cliffwood Beach instead of building basketball courts. A green approach could attract game bird hunters, fishermen, bird watchers and envirotourists. And generous funding at the state and federal levels.

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?

Charles C Schock, Jr - President of Farmers and Merchants Bank of Matawan (1971)

Charles Christian Schock, Jr (30 Nov 1919 - 15 Jun 1985), President of Farmers & Merchants (F&M) Bank in Matawan, was interviewed on 12 Jan 1971 by two Strathmore Elementary School students -- Andy Barnett and Peter Dickinson -- for their 4th grade class book project: "Matawan Past and Present." 

A native of the borough, the kids asked Charles about the old days in Matawan. He was born in Matawan. When he was young, there were more trees along Main Street, less traffic, and no paved roads. Store fronts were bigger and barny. Local industry included the Hanson Van Winkle Munning Co, the Wickham Piano Plate Co, and some tile companies.

Charles and his friends would swim and play with handmade wooden boats in the local man-made lakes. The kids used to get their bicycle tires at a tire store called Clough's, which was located where the five-and-dime Hostetter's was in 1971. Local bus service ran every half hour or so between downtown Matawan, the rail station and Freneau; it ran about hourly to and from Freehold.

While in college, Charles worked summers at F&M starting in 1938. He became President of the bank on 1 Jan 1964.

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As a newborn, Charles was living with his parents in his maternal grandfather's house at 162 Main Street in Matawan, according to the 1920 Federal Census. His father, Charles C Schock, was born about 1881 and was a dry goods merchant. His mother, Helen Louise (Terhune) Schock was born about 1884. Helen's father, James L Terhune, was a 74 year old widow. Young Charles was one month old when the family was enumerated on 9 January 1920.

Ten year old Charles continued to live with his parents in 1930, according to the 1930 Federal Census. His father was a retail merchant. His maternal grandfather was living with them at 160 Main Street.

Charles attended prep school at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, PA. He followed this up with two years of college, presumably at Rutgers College. His obituary mentioned Rutgers Law School in New Brunswick, NJ and the Stonier School of Banking, also at Rutgers, but those would have been after the war; it made no mention of his bachelor's work.

Twenty year old Charles lived with his parents on Edgemere Drive in Matawan, according to the 1940 Federal Census. His father was a proprietor of a general merchandise store. 

Charles enlisted for military service in World War II on 12 Mar 1942, according to his enlistment papers. He had attended two years of college and was an actor at the time of his enlistment. He would be a warrant officer at the rank of private and serve for the duration of the war.

Charles married Edna Wickham on 28 Dec 1942.

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In Aug 1971, just over six months after the Strathmore Elementary students' interview, F&M was absorbed by Franklin State Bank, according to the 24 Aug 1972 edition of The Independent. Charles became Vice President of Franklin State upon completion of the merger. The article provides some interesting details about land transactions and remodeling of the bank in the wake of the merger.

His obituary in the 16 Jun 1985 edition of The Red Bank Register provided the following details about his community activities:

"He was on the board of directors of Bayshore Community Hospital, the Monmouth County Board of Health and the YMCA's Camp Arrowhead, Red Bank and Marlboro.

Mr. Schock was a member of the Matawan Rotary Club and the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan. He was also on the board of trustees of the Rosehill Cemetery Association of Matawan. He was a member of the Monmouth County Bar Association.

He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and had attained the rank of lieutenant."

His obituary provided details about his family:

"Surviving are his wife, the former Edna Wickham; two daughters, Mrs. Eileen Laspa of San Francisco,
Calif., and Mrs. Linda Laramy of Easton, Md., and four grandchildren."

The Independent reported that Charles died of a heart attack at the wheel of his car. The 19 Jun 1985 edition contained an article "Charles Schock Jr Dies in Auto Crash." The article included the following regarding the circumstances of his death:

Schock "died of a heart attack just before his car struck a utility pole on Route 79 at about 12:45 p.m. Saturday. Schock was southbound on Route 79 when his car veered into the northbound lane and hit the utility pole, police said. No other cars were involved in the accident. He was treated at the scene by the Monmouth County mobile intensive care unit and taken to Bayshore Community by the First Aid Squad. He was dead on arrival at 2:05 p.m., police said."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach Update - July 2013

Some updates about Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach:

• Bruno's on Cliffwood Avenue, near the railroad tracks, has closed. The property owner has a sign up seeking a business to lease the space. Two underground tanks of some sort were removed from the property in recent days, so it should be about ready for a new shop to occupy the space. I'll miss the old Hershey's chocolate sign that hung outside.

• There is construction at the traffic light across from McDonald's at Amboy Avenue and Route 35. They've removed the curbs and seem to be widening the road on the A&P side of the highway. Perhaps they will widen the roadway there so traffic can enter and exit the A&P lot from the McDonald's traffic light? 

• I suppose that is part of the overall construction project underway on Route 35. There are numbered concrete fittings piled up on the grass where Burlew's pizza parlor used to be, across from the Goodwill store. The fittings are marked with the letters "CB," plus numbers, probably indicating how they fit together to carry the creek under Route 35. Just think: We could be flood free soon, unless of course another Sandy comes along and floods the whole area. Let's not think about that.

• Have you noticed something odd with the left arrow when you are exiting Cliffwood Beach on Cliffwood Avenue at Route 35? The left arrow goes away but the light remains red for about two seconds before turning green. If you are approaching when the arrow disappears, do you stop? Or do you get mad when others stop? Oh, and, by the way, do you get mad when people wait to cross into the far lane and enter the A&P lot, keeping others from making the left turn onto Route 35? But I digress. . . .

• The Cliffwood Beach seawall was seriously undercut by Sandy, leaving maybe half a dozen of the concrete sidewalk sections uneven and at an angle. There is also at least one section of rail missing. I hope repairs to the seawall are part of the Governor's relief package. Or maybe we could ask the UAE for some help?

• Finally, the dry cleaners in the A&P shopping center is closed. I guess too many folks have been using those dryer sheets from the grocery store.

Guadalcanal Post 4745, Veterans of Foreign Wars (1945-1957)

This ad for Guadalcanal Post 4745 in Matawan, NJ appeared in the 8 Apr 1948 edition of The Matawan Journal

The Guadalcanal Post 4745, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), was established in October 1945 by ten veterans signing a charter in the presence of the Monmouth County Council and Joseph Smith, the department commander, according to the 25 Oct 1945 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Its charter members were (best as I can read them from the image):

1. Albert E Fields
2. Charles W Van Clief
3. Amos Bowie Stiltz
4. John P Vaccarella
5. Anthony Giugliano
6.  Arthur John Wultz
7. Carmine Raffa
8. Samuel G Gusti
9. Anthony J Delnegro
10. Thomas W Jackson

The post held its first meetings at Vaccarelli Hall, which was on High Street in Matawan near the railroad station. Meetings were weekly to bring in new members and conduct other organizational business.

Warren Van Clief was the post's first Commander, according to the 27 Jun 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal, which contained a summary of the post's history to date. (My research suggests that some of the information in the 1957 article is incorrect.)


The 8 Nov 1945 edition of The Matawan Journal said the post had recently been organized and a membership drive was underday. Upcoming meetings would be on the first and third Monday of each month at Vaccarelli Hall on High Street in Matawan.

The post moved its meetings to the First Aid Hall on Little Street in Matawan, according to the 12 Dec 1946 and 2 Oct 1947 editions of The Matawan Journal.

Alfred Pouzene was elected to his second consecutive year as Commander of the post in April 1949, according to the 7 Apr 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal. Arthur Gough, Sr was elected as Senior Vice Commander; Anthony Bucco, Jr, Vice Commander; David Bruce, Quartermaster; Gerard Gardner, Adjutant; and Angelo Tomasiello, Chaplain.

The post moved to the Cliffwood Civil Association building in 1950, according to the 27 Jun 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal. I found no reference to the civic association building being used for meetings until the 2 Apr 1953 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The move to Cliffwood initially resulted in both Cliffwood and Matawan being carried in the name of the post. The 1 Jun 1950, 10 Aug 1950 and 4 Oct 1951 editions of The Matawan Journal referred to the post as Guadalcanal Post 4745, VFW, Cliffwood-Matawan. The 21 Sep 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal referred to the post as Guadalcanal Post 4745 VFW of Cliffwood and Matawan. The 5 Oct 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal referred to the post as Guadalcanal Post 4745 VFW of Matawan and Cliffwood.

Michael F Kidzus was Commander of the post, according to the 23 Nov 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal Vice Commander was Leroy Umscheid. Kidzus was politically active during his tenure and after his service to the VFW even registered as a candidate for mayor.

In an article about the proceedings of a recent meeting of the Matawan Township Committee, the 25 Oct 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal referred to the post's new home as being under construction.

"Mr. (Ernest) Hubbard asked (the Matawan Township Committee) if an honor roll could be erected for veterans in the township in which the names imprinted on wood strips could be put on display behind a glass case. He said it would not be satisfactory to relatives of veterans to just have a marble stone with metal plaques not carrying the individual names.

Mr. Marz said he would have to consult the officers of Guadalcanal Post, 4745, VFW, about this as the
plaque is to go up at the site of their new post home, and the building now is under way."

Guadalcanal Post 4745 VFW in Cliffwood, NJ in 1957.

The post moved into a building at the corner of Hawthorne Street and Cliffwood Avenue (photo, above), on a lot it purchased in 1951, according to the 27 Jun 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal.

In the early days, the post attempted to establish bus service between Cliffwood and downtown Matawan. Amazingly, they also went on the record encouraging the establishment of youth programs to thwart young lovers from having idle time to find a dark spot to park along Lake Lefferts and neck.

Lacking space for major events in the early 1950's, the post held them at the Cliffwood Firehouse, Matawan High School, the Knights of Columbus hall in Keyport, and the Legion Hall of American Legion Post 176 in Matawan.

Guadalcanal Post 4745 VFW held a dance at the American Legion hall in Matawan in 1954.

The post held a dance at Legion Hall in Matawan on 18 Dec 1954, according to the above ad in the 9 Dec 1954 edition of The Matawan Journal. Walt Staeger's Orchestra would be performing.

The post held its tenth anniversary dinner on 10 Dec 1955 at the Robert E Lee Inn, according to the 22 Dec 1955 edition of The Matawan Journal. Attending were 125 veterans, their wives and other guests. (The Robert E Lee Inn was situated at the mouth of Cheesequake Creek, between Route 35 and Raritan Bay in the Morgan section of Sayreville. It burned to the ground in the 1980s, according to the 20 Sep 2007 edition of The Suburban.)

The 27 Jun 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that a new building, the current one, was to be erected on the same site on Cliffwood Avenue. (The image of the plan was too faded to reproduce here.)

History: Prospect Grove (Money Island)

Before Cliffwood Beach was developed in the 1920's, the area was known as Prospect Grove or Money Island.

The 31 Jul 1886 edition of The Matawan Journal contains the first reference I can find of Prospect Grove, a social venue for swimming and entertainment along the shore at what is now Cliffwood Beach.The article suggests that Prospect Grove was also known as Money Island.

The 23 Jun 1888 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the annual opening of Prospect Grove on 19 Jun 1888. The grove had a pavilion, bathing-houses, seats, tables, etc, making it the finest place in the region for picnics and pleasure parties. The grove served ice cream, refreshments, and all Temperance drinks. Sociables were held every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Good music was always in attendance. Clam-bakes could be arranged at short notice.  P M Barber was proprietor. 

The proprietor likely was Peter Barber, born about 1844 in New Jersey, who was living in Matawan Township in the 1880 Federal Census along with his wife Celia, their six children and his mother. He was a farmer by occupation.

The same ad appeared a year earlier for a 1 Jul 1887 opening. See the 25 Jun 1887 edition.

P. M. Barber operated the grove at the beach in Cliffwood on Wednesday and Saturday evenings during the summer of 1889, according to an advertisement in the 27 Jul 1889 edition of The Matawan Journal.. Offerings included music and refreshments at social events such as picnics, pleasure parties, and clam bakes.

Joel A Walling built a photography wagon and took it down to Prospect Grove in 1889 and did a thriving business, according to a Forty Years Ago history piece in the 23 Aug 1929 edition of The Matawan Journal, pg 4.

The 2 Aug 1890 edition of The Matawan Journal talked about Sunday School groups from Morganville and Brick that picnicked at Money Island.

The 4 Aug 1894 edition of The Matawan Journal said, "Large crowds gather at Prospect Grove to get the benefit of the sea breeze. There is dancing held at the grove every Saturday evening.

The 27 Jul 1895 edition mentioned a Sunday School group visit to Money Island by a Morganville church. 

The 27 Jun 1896 edition of The Matawan Journal declared that Prospect Grove was open for the season under the management of George Birch for music and dancing on Thursday nights, and good boating and bathing. The ad said it was "a pleasant place to spend a day and evening at the seashore." (The same ad appeared in the 27 Jul 1895 edition of The Matawan Journal.)

The 16 Aug 1900 edition mentioned a Sunday School group from Cliffwood that would be visiting Money Island.

Prospect Grove is mentioned in a scientific publication in 1904, but it isn't clear how they derived the name of the place for their publication. They described the grove as being found along the Raritan Bay southeast of Cheesequake creek. The publication, which can be found online, is The Clays and Clay Industry of New Jersey, by Heinrich Ries and Henry B Kummel, which is The Final Report of the State Geologist, Vol IV, New Jersey Geological Survey (Trenton, 1904), pp 166 ff (Google eBook). The section of the book is called Cliffwood Lignitic Sands and Clays. It discusses the geologic and geographic attributes of particular kinds of clay in the Cliffwood area, which was famous for its brickyards in that time period.

In the summer of 1905, the Olive Branch Grange held its second annual picnic at Money Island, according to a 25 Years Ago historical piece in the 1 Aug 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The 15 Jul 1915 edition of The Matawan Journal spoke of an outing by boat to Money Island to collect clams for a clam bake. "Misses Mildred Morton, Dorothy Dennis, Ethel. L Lewis, and Mabel Emmons, togethet with August Kattner and Harold Close enjoyed themselves at Money Island on Friday. The trip was made by motor boat and enough clams were gathered to have a clam bake at Miss Lewis' the same evening."

The 30 Sep 1915 edition of The Matawan Journal looked fondly at the nearly forgotten Money Island. "That Money Island has not been forgotten by picknicers is evidenced by the fact that the Whitlock family with their friends enjoyed a very pleasant day there on Saturday."

Another scientific reference is in the May 1916 edition of The Journal of the New York Botanical Garden, which mentioned the oak trees in Prospect Grove. "The March conference of the scientific staff and registered students of the Garden was held in the laboratory of the museum building on the afternoon of April 5. Mr. W. A. Stowell reported on the results of his investigations of the oak hybrids of Cliffwood, New Jersey. During the past summer Mr. Stowell made an intensive study of the tree population of Prospect Grove, near Cliffwood, which is the type locality for the hybrid Quercus Rudkini. A portion of the grove, about twelve acres in extent, was found to contain nearly all the oak hybrids of the region." The article continues with details about an oak census done by Mr Stowell.

The 19 Jul 1917 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned a camping trip to Money Island. "Edwin H. Dominiik, Edward M Hyer and Alfred Davis spent the weekend camping at Money Island."

The 25 Aug 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned families from Browntown and Matawan who picnicked at Money Island.

The 8 Sep 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal had a front page story about a group of men from South Amboy who drove to Cliffwood one evening and assaulted one of the daughters of Isaac Johnson at the shack they lived in near Money Island. Melinda Johnson supposedly shot one of the men twice in the stomach, but the police couldn't find the men involved. The women had a "hard" reputation, having never attended school, etc. Isaac Johnson had actually left home because things were so bad at the shack.

The 1 Jun 1923 edition of The Matawan Journal contained this news story of the sale of Money Island to the developers of Cliffwood Beach.

"M0NEY ISLAND" BOUGHT BY MORRISEY & WALKER
TRACT WAS LONG SOUGHT BY LAND DEVELOPERS

Was Hiding Place for Captain Kidd and His Treasures Which Gave Spot Its Name.

Cliffwood Beach, better known as Money Island, has been bought by Morrisey & Walker, the greatest coast developing company in the State. The price paid is said to be $200,000.

Possession of .this tract has long been sought by real estate men from New York to Philadelphia. The property was formerly owned by Miss Eleanor Clark of New York, who during her life, considered and refused the offers of many who sought to purchase it for home or commercial purposes.

Very serious consideration was given to the property as a terminal for rail and seaport, both for local and foreign freight. Surveys were made. Many times it was reported sold. The Standard Oil Company contemplated building a great oil storage plant, utilizing the fine harbor for shipping purpose. Even after the death of Miss Clark about two years ago, every effort was made by real estate men to purchase
the estate. The property was left to a niece, Miss Minnie S. Keyes of New York, from whom Morrisey & Walker made their purchase.

The tract comprises about 350 acres, in the center of which is a beautiful lake, known as the "Duck Pond. Much of the land lies high above the water, great cliffs overlook the bay. These are wooded with pines and oaks and have for years formed a favorite picnicing ground for those wishing a beautiful and secluded spot. There is a gradual slope to the beach which is one of the finest sandy stretches on Raritan Bay. This is pure beach sand extending for two miles and a half.

It was the fine harbor and secluded cliffs, no doubt, that enticed Captain Kidd to choose it as a hiding place as he played upon the seas and because it was the storehouse for his treasures he secured as a pirate it became known as Money Island. Almost every child who has picnicked in the woods on
these cliffs and bathed along the beach knows the story of Capt. Kidd. . . ."

A Mar 1924 edition of The Matawan Journal reported, "Cliffwood, more often called "Money Island" because it is supposed to have been the hiding place of Captain Kidd's treasure, is yielding to the demand for greater shore resort development. This attractive stretch of beach, with its dense woodland and pretty lake, will be opened by Morrisey and Walker." This, according to a Looking Backward historical piece in the 30 Mar 1972 edition of the paper.

The 31 Jul 1931 edition of The Matawan Journal reported, "Many people from around Hillsdale drove through Matawan on Thursday to Money Island. There must have been close to 100 wagons and each contained from four to six persons. Some Freehold residents were also noticed driving through town to the same resort."

The 27 Jun 1957 edition of The Matawan Journal had the above photo story. It identified Money Island as including the shoreline between Matawan Creek and Whale Creek. It also included Treasure Lake.

A brief history of Cliffwood Beach in the 7 Jul 1994 edition of The Independent said Prospect Grove and Money Island were actually early names for Cliffwood Beach. The ads sound more like Prospect Grove was a commercial venture than a geographic or maritime location. Neither the 1873 nor 1889 county atlas identifies the shoreline at Matavan as anything except Raritan Bay. There are no references to Prospect Grove after 1916 and only one reference to Money Island after its sale in 1923.

Board Gives Last Minute Notice of Park Cleanup Event

It was a great idea for Aberdeen Township to seek volunteers for a Saturday morning clean up event at the River Gardens Natural Area, but it seems to me that the Township's Environmental Board could have done more to draw in volunteers for this worthy project in the Riverdale Park section of Cliffwood.

The board's press release was dated Thursday for a Saturday morning event, a bit late in my view. I know I didn't come across word of the event until about an hour ago. While it was somehow picked up before press time by Gannet's weekly Independent, the original press release didn't go out to Aberdeen residents by e-Bulletin until Friday morning and there was no information in The Matawan-Aberdeen Patch or Asbury Park Press.

The board could have taken advantage of the Patch's free community events feature or given them a brief interview. There was nothing in The Asbury Park Press, but that's no surprise. We're not in southeastern Monmouth or Ocean County, so we don't count.

I hope the project was well attended and wish I could have participated. Its last minute and limited promotion might have kept many people like me in the dark.

By the way, in the course of conducting my research for this article I noticed that the Township website search tool only brings up 3 hits for the string "River gardens," while an advanced Google search of the website ("river gardens" site:www.aberdeennj.org) yields 19 hits. The Township webmaster might want to take a look at the search tool and see what's up. Neither tool brought up Thursday's press release, but that could be due to a slow web crawler.

History: Four Boys Rescued From Frozen Lake Lefferts (1952)

A story in today's Matawan-Aberdeen Patch about Matawan emergency responders receiving ice rescue training prompted me to check our local history for stories of such situations here. I found the article below from the 3 Jan 1952 edition of The Matawan Journal about a human chain rescue that saved four boys from a frozen Lake Lefferts but imperiled the rescuers.

Four Rescued From Plunge Through Ice  
Use Of Rope After Human Chain Fails Is Means Of Saving Boys Floundering In Lake

Earle V. Whitney, Keyport's recreational director, was one of those whose prompt action Saturday saved the lives of two teen-age boys struggling in the icy waters of Lake Lefferts after a break through the ice. Two others were plunged into the lake also, in trying to form a human chain to reach the boys floundering in the icy water.

The near-tragedy was brought about when Allen Johnson, 14, of 250 Jackson St., Matawan, skating in the Buttonwood Manor area, sought to cross the lake to join boys playing hockey in Scadis Cove. The ice, three inches thick in the cove, had melted to half that thickness farther out and broke under the weight of the Johnson boy.

Richard Bader, 17, of 24 Park Ave., Matawan, one of the hockey players, skated out towards the floundering youth and then tried to reach him by sprawling on the ice and extending a hockey stick. The ice gave way more when Bader sought to pull Johnson, who seized the stick, to him. The larger boy was then clutched by the smaller one and they went down. When they came up, Bader managed to tread the icy water long enough to give time for them to be saved.

A human chain formed, but the two boys at the end of the chain, Robert Demmery, 14, of Morganville, and William Clifton, 18, of Main St., Matawan, plunged into the lake up to their chins when they put their weight on the crackling ice.

Whitney Secures Rope

Mr. Whitney, skating in the area, raced, off the ice and secured two ropes from the property of William Beedle. Mr. Beedle is said to put the ropes out each winter in anticipation of just such need. Mr. Whitney returned to the ice and cast the ropes at the boys struggling in the waters. Bader had secured grip on the hockey stick by then but was calling out he could hold on no longer when a rope was cast to him.

Matawan patrolman Robert McGowan and Special Officer John Berbrick appeared at the scene and joined the others trying to pull the weight of the four boys clutching the ropes to safety.

Shivering and blue with the cold, the four boys were rushed to the nearby home of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Barker, Ravine Dr. Police and the Matawan First Aid Squad arrived soon after. The boys were stripped of their drenched clothing and wrapped in blankets. Mrs. Barker and Mrs. William Brown, a nurse of nearby Grant St., provided hot water bottles and hot drinks.

They were later .examined by Dr. Aram Captanian and apparently found none the worse for their icy ordeal.

Matawan Fire Department also was called to the scene.

The Johnson boy is reported to have had two younger companions with him when he was skating in the Buttonwood Manor area, but they are said to have disappeared when he fell through the ice. Their identities are not known.

History: Marc Woods Development, Matawan (1960)

Howard Siegel built a major development in the Borough of Matawan. These so-called "Siegel homes" became the Marc Woods development, which is bounded by Ravine Drive, Aberdeen Road and Matawan Avenue. Below are links to an assortment of early news articles documenting some of the main events in the approval process in 1960 and 1961. The tracts used for the development are identified by name but I didn't find anything solid on those families. Presumably the lands were local farms.

The Matawan Borough Planning Board received Siegel's plan for 167 homes on the 117-acre Siano tract on 15 Aug 1960, according to the 18 Aug 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal. Karl Heuser, the borough's engineer, suggested that the property might better be used for a third lake, but the developer was unwilling to provide the land for municipal use considering his investment in land.

The 1 Sep 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal said Marc Woods would include 172 houses on 117 acres of land called the Siano tract, plus another 70-80 homes on 52 acres adjacent to the Siano property, just to the west, called the Esposito-Kravitz tract. The latter tract, also referred to as the Esposito-Kravitz-Smith tract, had recently come available because the school district's option to buy it had been abandoned after a local $2.5 million bond issue to build a new school failed.

The 27 Oct 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal (pp 1, 14) reported that the first 75 homes of the new Marc Woods development would not be connected to the sewer lines because the State had determined the borough sewer system was so overtaxed that it was polluting Matawan Creek.

The borough was planning a million dollar improvement to the sewer system that would increase both capacity and reach. The new system would expand to include all but the Freneau section of the borough. In the meantime, however, the Council could not approve such a major use.

The 27 October edition of the paper happened to record the 22 October dedication and first use of the new borough hall in the former Farmers and Merchants National Bank building on Main Street in Matawan.

The 6 Mar 1961 edition of The Red Bank Register said the new development would be attached to the borough sewer system and would include both tracts mentioned above. Units were expected to be available by September 1961 and sell for $15,000 to $17,000.

Park Cleanup in River Gardens (Cliffwood)

River Gardens is a part of the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen Township. It was developed by Laurence Harbor Heights Company in the late 1940s. The neighborhood is situated between Matawan Avenue, Route 35, Matawan Creek and the Matawan border (just north of the Garden State Parkway). West Prospect Avenue is the major route through the neighborhood, running from Route 35 to the Matawan Avenue Middle School (MAMS).

River Gardens is home to a 25-acre undeveloped park located on Riverdale Drive along Matawan Creek. The land was acquired as public open space by Aberdeen Township in 2004. The Bayshore Regional Watershed Council and the NY/NJ Baykeeper organized a recent park cleanup, according to The Matawan-Aberdeen Patch and other sources.

The Township's Environmental Commission is looking into the history of the area's renowned brick companies, which established their works along Matawan Creek and the railroad to facilitate shipment of their goods to market. Remnants of at least one brickyard, most of which were uprooted by the building of the Garden State Parkway in the 1950s, have been found in Riverside Park.

History of the River Gardens Subdivision

According to the 22 Dec 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal, outgoing councilman William Regan complained to the Matawan Township Council that developers were receiving preferential access to the water supply from township officials, while local residents remained on a long waiting list. He asked in particular about deliveries of pipe "at the old Pennsylvania Railroad property in Cliffwood, now in the course of development as River Gardens by Laurence Harbor Heights Co." Regan pointed out that there hadn't been any Council discussion of the River Gardens development since January 1947. Township Chairman John Marz Jr said that the company had agreed to buy its own pipe and the Township would take possession of it after 20 years. One councilman suggested that the Council was working in the dark and should have a copy of the plans.

The 27 Sep 1951 edition of The Matawan Journal featured a complaint to the Township Council from a River Gardens residents group. The developer had installed septic tanks at $250 each, but the State came in and found the septic systems inadequate. The residents wanted Laurence Harbor Heights Co to fund their required deposits on a new sewer system, including a plant, piping and pumps. The estimated cost of the system was $75,000 to $85,000.

The 30 Jan 1958 edition of The Matawan Journal included coverage of a River Gardens residents group that petitioned the school board for a restoration of bus transportation for their high school students. The article identified River Gardens as a section of Cliffwood.

Laurence Harbor Heights Company

I found references to land transfers by Laurence Harbor Heights Company in The Matawan Journal as early as 1935, but no fundamentals about the company itself. I checked the web and found a Google Books record showing that the company advertised in an 18 Oct 1922 "Railway" magazine under Rivers and Harbors as a builder  of bulkheads, boardwalk and gradings. The ad appeared in The Collected Works of Sir Humphrey Daly, by Halbert Powers Gillette. A New Jersey court case titled Villa Corp vs S D Walker, et al (187 F.2d 493), heard in 1950 and decided the following year, said that Laurence Harbor Heights Company was owned as of 1947 by one S D Walker.