Monmouth County Timeline
May 31, 1910
The Shrewsbury River Yacht Club (on the Navesink River in Fair Haven)
The Shrewsbury River Yacht Club (on the Navesink River in Fair Haven) On Tuesday, May 31, 1910, a group of professional actors and entertainers summering in Fair Haven met for the purpose of forming a new club, which they...
August 10, 1910
The Wright Brothers Bring Aviation to Monmouth County
On August 10, 1910, the Wright Brothers came to Monmouth County to stage “America’s Greatest Aviation Meet.” It was designed to be a grand exhibition of manned heavier-than-air flight using the aviation system the Wrights created. The aircraft, called the...
August 15, 1911
President Taft Speaks About the Horrors of war at Ocean Grove Auditorium
On Tuesday, August 15, 1911, U.S. President William Howard Taft gave a speech at the Ocean Grove auditorium. According to the Monmouth Democrat, "The president went into details on the horrors of war and the past policy of the United...
June 25, 1912
Geraldine L. Thompson’s Favorite Child
Editor's note: Geraldine Thompson is, without question, one of the most important women in Monmouth County history. Monmouth Timeline is honored to have this account of Geraldine Thompson's impact from Professor Jane Scimeca, a new contributor. By Jane Scimeca...
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...
March 14, 1914
Leon Hess of Asbury Park
Leon Hess (March 14, 1914 – May 7, 1999) was the founder of the Hess Corporation and the owner of the New York Jets. He was born to a Jewish family in Asbury Park and attended Asbury Park High School,...
January 1, 1915
Court Street School Education Community Center
140 Court St, Freehold The Court Street School is one of the principal structures associated with the segregated history of early twentieth century education for African Americans in Freehold, New Jersey. The original school was organized in 1915 exclusively for...
January 28, 1915
The Legacy of the U.S. Life-Saving Service: The United States Coast Guard
Despite proving successful in being able to rescue people from wrecked ships, the U.S. Life-Saving Service struggled to fulfill its mandate, with inadequate manpower, equipment, and a lack of central management. These conditions continued until a major storm struck the...
July 12, 1916
The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916
On July 12, 1916, three people were attacked by a shark in Matawan Creek, with two dying from their injuries. These attacks followed previous and unprecedented shark attacks off of Spring Lake beach on July 6, and Beach Haven, in...
August 7, 1916
Kermit Love, Creator of Muppets
On August 7, 1916, Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love was born in Spring Lake. Love was an American puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children’s television and on Broadway. He was best known as a designer and builder with...
March 7, 1917
A Brief Timeline of Thomas Alva Edison in Monmouth County
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...
March 26, 1917
Maury Jones of the Lafayette Flying Corps
By Mark A. Wallinger On March 26, 1917, a young man from Red Bank prominent in Monmouth County social circles left the United States and volunteered to join the French in their war against Germany, well before the U.S. entered...
June 3, 1917
U.S. Army Signal Corps Arrives In Little Silver To Begin Construction Of Fort Monmouth
On June 3, 1917, 32 soldiers of the U.S. Army Signal Corps first arrived at the site of what would become Fort Monmouth in two Model T Ford trucks. Originally named Camp Little Silver due to its location, they built...
July 18, 1917
A Man Who Will Not Be Thwarted, Thomas Alva Edison Begins Conducting Submarine Defense Experiments from Sandy Hook
In early 1917, Thomas Alva Edison fell ill, and so his Naval Consulting Board moved on without him to recruit a scientific advisory group and build a new naval research laboratory. After he recovered, U.S. Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels suggested...
July 21, 1917
Harry Houdini Brings a Crowd of Magicians to Keansburg – But He Does Not Perform
On Saturday, July 21, 1917, legendary escape artist and entertainer Harry Houdini returned to Monmouth County, accompanied by his wife, Bess, his brother Theodore “Hardeen” Weiss, and a group of fellow magicians from New York City, to visit a colleague...
August 19, 1917
The Incredible Story of the USS Sachem, Thomas Edison’s Floating Laboratory, Later the Circle Line V, and Now a Ghost Ship in Kentucky
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...
September 15, 1917
Theodore D. Parsons, World War I Test Pilot who Became New Jersey Attorney General
By John R. Barrows Editor’s note: Almost 100 percent of the details of military service in this story of Theodore D. Parsons come to us courtesy of Mike O’Neal, a member of the board of trustees for the Golden Age...
July 27, 1918
Jack Dempsey Trains with Shore Boxing Legend Jimmy DeForest for First Big Match
On July 27, 1918, boxer Jack Dempsey knocked out Fred Fulton in just under 19 seconds of the first round. It was Dempsey's first major fight, and within a year, Dempsey would go on to defeat Jess Willard to become...
August 13, 1918
Timeline Mystery: Did a World War I U-Boat Engage in an Artillery Battle with Fort Hancock?
Editor's note: On September 17th, 2024, the Monmouth County Historical Association will host author Dominic Etzold, who will present a locally-tailored version of his new book, Reaping the Whirlwind: The U-Boat War off North America During WWI. According to MCHA,...
October 17, 1918
The Silver Star: William D. Frayne of Sea Bright
By John R. Barrows Editor’s note: Most of what we present here about hero pilot Bill Frayne’s wartime exploits is owed to Steve Ruffin and his exhaustive work with original source records as published in Over the Front, the...