History Unclassified
May 31, 1799
Early Legislative History of New Jersey State Laws Concerning Wrecks
Overview In 1799, the New Jersey House of Assembly passed a new law entitled “An act concerning wrecks,” which would be revised and amended a number of times over subsequent years. The intent of the law was to establish that...
July 8, 1848
The Shrewsbury Inlet Closes – For Good
On July 8th, 1848, the Shrewsbury Inlet closed for the last time, converting Sandy Hook from an island back to a peninsula for good. Over the decades, storms and shifting sands resulted in the inlet closing and reopening several times....
October 12, 1898
Monmouth County Historical Association
The first meeting of the Monmouth County Historical Association was held on October 12, 1898. Caroline Gallup Reed (pictured, 1821-1911) was the driving force behind the organization, and was its first president. Over the next 125 years, the Monmouth County...
September 24, 1912
John Thompson Lovett Sr., the Small Fruit Prince of Little Silver
By John R. Barrows Editor’s note: The author is indebted to Timeline contributor and noted historian Randall Gabrielan, author most recently of Lost Monmouth County (The History Press, 2021), for sharing much of his research into John Thompson Lovett, as...
May 17, 1923
Monmouth County’s Official Song is “Monmouth County”
On July 5, 1939, the song “Monmouth County” was formally adopted as our county’s official song by the chosen freeholders. With lyrics written by Captain Cyril A. Smack of Sea Bright, and music by his sister, Gertrude Smack Seaman of...
June 11, 1929
The President of the Red Bank Aero Club Crashes His Plane into the Governor’s Residence
By Joseph G. Bilby ©2022 Oops. In the early evening of June 11, 1929, William Taft of Red Bank, New Jersey, “president of the Red Bank Aero Club,” decided to take a couple of friends, Mrs. William Jeanine and...
November 11, 1950
The Amazing Monument Men of Monmouth County
Timeline story by Rick Burton On November 11, 1950, Armistice Day (now Veterans Day), Major General Francis H. Lanahan, commanding officer of Fort Monmouth, delivered the principal address at dedication ceremonies marking the official unveiling of the monument to the...
June 9, 1964
Shrewsbury Had Flying Jeeps but Asbury Park Had a Flying Submarine
This is a story about small airfields of Monmouth County that are now long gone. During World War II, residents of Monmouth County became accustomed to seeing a number of small aircraft, midget planes known affectionately as "Flying Jeeps" passing...
December 31, 2020
Thrice-Told Tales That Urgently Need Retelling
Book review by John R. Barrows Stories of Slavery in New Jersey, by Rick Geffken, ©2021 The History Press, Charleston, S.C., forward by Walter D. Greason, Ph.D. 206 pages, $21.99. Available January 4, 2021. There are a number of good...
January 17, 2022
Lost Monmouth County
Book review by John R. Barrows By Randall Gabrielan The History Press, 2021 $21.99 160 pages Perhaps the very first history book to speak nostalgically about a special region that became thought of as “lost” was a poem published...
June 1, 2023
New Art: Monmouth County Loyalists and Patriots
Editor’s note: The two illustrations detailed below were commissioned by Monmouth Timeline in 2023 to illustrate multiple stories. The artist’s signed prints are currently on loan to the Matawan Historical Society, and are on display at the Burrowes Mansion Museum...