April 8, 1665
The Monmouth Patent
Editor’s note: The author would like to thank Yvette Florio Lane, Ph.D., for her assistance with this important Timeline story. On April 8, 1665, the English deputy-governor of New Amsterdam, Colonel Richard Nicolls, granted 12 white men, mostly Quakers from
November 4, 1762
Marlpit Hall, c. 1762
Marlpit Hall, c. 1762 137 Kings Highway Middletown, NJ 07748 While four of the five historical houses owned by the Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA) have ties to Patriots of the American Revolution, this house represents the residence of a
January 2, 1777
The Allen House Massacre and Other Engagements in Eastern Monmouth County
By William Gardell January 1777: A Time of Tension On January 2, 1777, members of the Monmouth County militia, along with a company of Continental army soldiers, reached what is today Freehold and engaged in a skirmish with a
February 13, 1777
Battle of the Navesink
On February 13, 1777, the militia of Monmouth County suffered “most severely” in an engagement known as the Battle of the Navesink, which took place in the area that is now Rumson and Highlands, and Sea Bright. Particularly during
June 26, 1778
The Sack of Monmouth Court House
On June 26, 1778, British troops, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, first arrived in Monmouth Court House, now known as Freehold Township. With France entering the American Revolution on the side of the Patriots, the British
June 10, 1779
The Razing of Tinton Falls: 16 Dead in Waterfront Fighting Between Monmouth County Patriots and Loyalists
On June 10, 1779, a raiding party of about 100 Loyalists left British-controlled Sandy Hook and attacked Tinton Falls for the second time in six weeks, seeking guns, ammunition, food, supplies, and to arrest local leaders of the militia. The
December 28, 1779
The Capture of the British Privateer Britannia by the Middletown Militia
By Maureen Foster Sandy Hook and the neighboring Highlands of the Navesink have always played an important role in the safety and defense of New York harbor. During the Revolutionary War (1776-1783), British troops and Loyalist refugees occupied Sandy Hook,
September 1, 1780
The Fatal Showdown Between Colonel Tye and Joshua Huddy
Original illustration exclusively for Monmouth Timeline, ©2021 by Charles Swerdlow, all rights reserved. In the years following the Battle of Monmouth, residents of Monmouth County engaged in an escalating civil war between residents siding with the Revolutionary cause, and residents
January 6, 1832
Wreckers! The Land Pirates of Monmouth County
Either the Barnegat Pirates are the most infamous scoundrels upon the face of the earth, or they are a much injured set of men. New Jersey State Senator Alexander Wurts of Hunterdon County, in a resolution adopted by the
March 5, 1886
Samuel Johnson, Victim of a Lynching
Thousands of Black people were the victims of racial terror lynching in the United States between 1865 and 1950, including hundreds of lynchings that took place outside the South. Violent resistance to equal rights for African Americans led to fatal
November 21, 1897
A Timeline of Vito and Anna Genovese in Monmouth County
Editor’s note: Vito Genovese was involved in criminal activities from his early years in New York City and continued to run the rackets even after he was finally behind bars for good. His nefarious deeds have been extensively chronicled elsewhere
August 29, 1900
Cedar View Cemetery of Lincroft: A Final Resting Place for Black Families and Civil War Veterans
By John R. Barrows On August 29, 1900, Charles Reeves died, age 80, in Lincroft. A former slave, he lived his entire life in the Middletown area, and was laid to rest in Cedar View Cemetery. Charles Reeves was considered
October 16, 1929
Bootlegger Compound Raided in Former Middletown Home of Oscar Hammerstein Sr.
On October 16, 1929, at the height of Prohibition, federal agents raided an isolated house atop the ridge in the Navesink section of Middletown, overlooking Sandy Hook Bay (pictured above...the person in the photo is unidentified). Before 1920, the house
March 30, 1932
Vito Genovese Takes a New Bride
On March 30, 1932, Vito and Giovaninna "Anna" Petillo (nee Vernotico) were married in New York. Anna ran nightclubs and gay bars in Manhattan during these years, some of which were not on the mafia books. It was the
March 23, 1933
Gangster Al Lillien’s Unsolved Murder in Middletown Ends his Criminal Organization
On March 23, 1933, Alexander (Al) Lillien Jr. (born February 28, 1897), a "master liquor-runner,” was found murdered in his Middletown mansion. Lillien, 36, along with his brother William, controlled a bootlegging gang that extended from Montreal down to Virginia,
June 28, 1935
Vito and Anna Genovese Move to Middletown
On June 28, 1935, Vito Genovese purchased a 35-acre (other accounts set it at 42 and 24 acres) property at 152 Red Hill Road in Middletown from Mrs. Florence Sperling. The estate was originally part of a large farm owned by
December 13, 1935
Vito Genovese, American Citizen of Good Moral Character
On December 13, 1935, while the family was living in Middletown, Vito filed a petition to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. On November 25, 1936, his petition was granted and Vito became a U.S. citizen in New York City. On
February 23, 1937
The Genovese Middletown Mansion Burns While Vito is in Exile in Italy
On February 23, 1937, the Middletown mansion that was home to "king of the rackets" Vito Genovese and his wife Anna, and their children, burned down. An oil burner was thought to be at fault, but the exact cause was
December 13, 1943
Naval Weapons Station Earle
On December 13, 1943, Naval Ammunition Depot Earle was commissioned. The facility, which sits on 11,000 acres in Monmouth County, was designed to provide for the safe and secure storage and transfer of ordnance – bombs, bullets, missiles, torpedoes, depth
December 21, 1944
Medal of Honor: Horace Marvin “Buddy” Thorne
On December 21, 1944, Horace Marvin “Buddy” Thorne died from wounds he received while displaying incredible courage during the Ardennes Counteroffensive, better known as “the Battle of the Bulge,” in Belgium, during World War II. Thorne would later be posthumously
April 30, 1946
Explosion Aboard the USS Solar Kills Seven Sailors, Injures 125 More
On April 30, 1946, the USS Solar, a U.S. Navy Buckley-class destroyer escort (DE 221), exploded at the Navy Pier in Leonardo, killing seven sailors and injuring 125 others. The Solar was refitted in 1946 to serve as a sonar
July 10, 1947
Vito Genovese Asserts Himself on the Monmouth County Docks
On July 10, 1947, Vito Genovese, Andrew Richard, and Louis and Dominic A. Caruso formed a new corporation called the Atlantic Highlands Wharf Company, that “handles freight and passenger transportation at the yacht harbor.” The company acquired the railroad pier
May 22, 1958
Middletown Nike Ajax Missile Explosion Kills 10
On May 22, 1958, a Nike Ajax missile exploded and detonated seven other missiles lined up at U.S. Army Battery B Base in the Chapel Hill section of Middletown. Six American servicemen and four civilians died. The accident happened while
June 3, 1959
Mafia Kingpin Carmine Galante Arrested in Holmdel
On June 3, 1959, New Jersey State Police officers arrested the notorious mob leader Carmine Galante after stopping his car on the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel. Camillo Carmine Galante (February 21, 1910 - July 12, 1979) was at that
November 8, 1977
PS Alexander Hamilton – A National Historic Site You Can’t Visit
On November 8, 1977, during a storm, the Passenger Steamship Alexander Hamilton caught fire and sank next to the Navy Pier in Raritan Bay, where she remains to this day, off-limits to visitors. In her heyday, she carried 3,500 passengers
December 19, 2017
Middletown’s James van Riemsdyk Scores Milestone Goal in the National Hockey League
On May 4, 1989, James van Riemsdyk was born in Middletown. A 6-3 left wing, Van Riemsdyk attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his junior year to play for the USA Hockey's National
May 12, 2021
A Simple Question
A certain house said to be located in Atlantic Highlands is the subject of two stories in the Monmouth Timeline, both related to Prohibition and smuggling. On October 16, 1929, Federal agents launched a major assault on illegal liquor in
September 15, 2023
Artist Steve Schreiber Talks about his Newest Painting
The Middletown Militia Secures their Prize, December 30, 1779 ©2023 Steve Schreiber. Oil on Hardboard. Commissioned by Monmouth Timeline Inc., donated to Middletown Township Historical Society. Currently on loan and public display at the Middletown Township Public Library, 55 New
January 17, 2024
Introducing The Monmouth County Black History Trail
After the ceremonies were over commemorating the new historic marker in Eatontown for Samuel "Mingo Jack" Johnson, the New Jersey Social Justice Remembrance Coalition was sent a list of suggestions by the Equal Justice Initiative for ways to build on