Sandy Hook

The earliest European explorers of the Americas never caught even a glimpse of any part of the northern Atlantic coast.  Christopher Columbus explored and settled various Caribbean nations, while Amerigo Vespucci's explorations appear to have been mostly of South America, specifically,

Monmouth Timeline story by Rick Burton On Wednesday, January 3, 1703, William Leeds Jr., a wealthy middle-aged Middletown resident, fully drew the mantle of God upon himself as he was baptized as a Christian. The rites of baptism have long

On November 15, 1775, the former Colts Neck slave named Titus, now calling himself simply "Tye," took part in the first armed conflict in American history involving an organized unit of African American soldiers. But they were fighting for the

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

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,

On October 5, 1781, Captain Adam Hyler of New Brunswick led yet another attack on British and Loyalist merchant vessels in Raritan Bay; on this occasion, he and his oarsmen captured five valuable British ships within a quarter mile of

Following the death of Colonel Tye, the Black Brigade came under the leadership of the African Bahamian soldier Stephen Blucke, whose Black Pioneers together with the Brigade made frequent raids from Sandy Hook into Long Island and New Jersey even

On February 15, 1846, a severe storm caused a number of horrifying shipwrecks along the northeast coast that were a shock even to a nation long accustomed to maritime disasters.  One of these was the John Minturn, a three-masted packet

Editor’s note: This article would not have happened were it not for the diligence and professionalism of a dedicated librarian, Caitlyn Cook, at the New Jersey State Library in Trenton. Ms. Cook was helping with my research on the wreckers

On June 18, 1878, Congress passed a new law that created the U.S. Life-Saving Service as a part of the Treasury Department.   Prior to then, it was included within a long-gone bureau of the federal government known as the

On August 17, 1901, a clear day, the steamship SS Alene ran down and sank the New Jersey Sandy Hook Ship's Pilot boat James Gordon Bennett, No.7, and three pilots and the cook drowned.  Pilot Fred Hopkins and Alexander Dexter

Editor’s note: Thomas Alva Edison (born February 11, 1847, Milan, Ohio; died:October 18, 1931, West Orange, N.J.) was “America’s Genius Inventor,” a man who averaged one patent for every 10-12 days of his life, including the incandescent light bulb, the

Editor’s note: For a full and very detailed illustrated history of the Sachem, and to support its preservation and restoration, visit the-sachem-project.org.   By John R. Barrows The Sachem is a storied vessel.  Launched in 1901 as a luxury steam

On November 25, 1923, Bill McCoy, possibly the most celebrated bootlegger of the Prohibition era, found his career as a smuggler at an end at the hands of the U.S. Coast Guard, off Sandy Hook. He was born William Frederick

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