History Aberdeen Township, New Jersey

1 history

1.1 origins
1.2 new jersey
1.3 middletown township
1.4 raritan township
1.5 matawan township
1.6 aberdeen township

history
origins

those settled in area developed lenni lenape native americans. year 1000, agricultural society developed, , small villages dotted become new jersey. lenape began westward retreat in face of european settlement , disease beginning in late seventeenth century, beginning in monmouth county mid-eighteenth century. although lenape presently live in ontario , oklahoma, legacy survives in such names mohingson, luppatatong , matawan creeks , raritan bay.

cliffwood beach, located in aberdeen township, popular resort until hurricane donna destroyed boardwalk.

the earliest known attempt @ european settlement in 1650 when south side of raritan bay purchased lenni lenape new netherland colony. dutch failed make permanent settlements of area.

new jersey

the earliest english land grant in aberdeen in 1677 when sir george carteret granted 36 acres (150,000 m) jonathan holmes. in present-day oakshades on mohingson creek.

aberdeen township derived name new aberdeen, name settlement established in northwestern monmouth county in 1680s quakers , presbyterians fled scotland avoid religious persecution.

in 1684, surveyor general thomas rudyard received grant of 1,038 acres (4.20 km) on raritan bay , matawan creek, present location of cliffwood , cliffwood beach. owing rudyard s high office, quite controversial, , in 1685, board of proprietors issued order regarding laying out of land. section 7 addressed questionable activity such rudyard s, , sold land son-in-law, samuel winder.

the 1680s saw influx of scottish immigrants fleeing religious persecution in response 1683 book george scott extolling virtues of scottish settlement in east jersey. in 1701, village site of 100 acres (0.40 km) granted proprietors 24 scottish settlers of area. these men , 6 others purchased landing site on matawan creek. village site came called mount pleasant, , landing, became important shipping point produce of middletown township, became middletown point. third, scattered settlement developed in eighteenth century west of matawan creek, , called matawan or matavan.

middletown township

in 1693, become aberdeen township became part of middletown township which, @ time, consisted of aberdeen, holmdel township, hazlet township, middletown (including sandy hook), matawan borough, keyport, union beach, keansburg, atlantic highlands, highlands , sliver of colts neck township. portion of township extended far northwest cheesequake creek, ceded middlesex county in 1710.

raritan township

middletown considered large , unwieldy, , legislation passed in february 1848 took western half of middletown township create new municipality, raritan township (now hazlet township).

matawan township

legislation sponsored assemblyman beers passed state general assembly , senate, signed governor of new jersey william a. newell, , on february 23, 1857, matavan township incorporated portions of raritan township. included village of middletown point, mt. pleasant, , matavan. township named creek village of matavan. spelling of matawan or matavan had been interchangeable, however, when act published matavan had been used, may derive lenape word meaning 2 rivers come . may originate southern unami matawonge, bad riverbank or bad hill , possible reference bluffs along raritan bay subject erosion , collapse prior construction of seawall in 1970s. possible source matawan, northern unami bad fog , may have referred fog generated on raritan bay.

in 1865, due postal confusion middletown, middletown point post office renamed matawan , reflect name of township. section present downtown area of matawan borough. in 1882, spelling of township officially changed matawan .

a small railroad station erected along new york , long branch railroad tracks @ point called hutchler s crossing in 1875. known cliffwood station, operated on cliffwood avenue until station closed in 1932.

in 1885, cliffwood post office established , name of old matavan settlement passed obsolescence. matawan formed borough on june 28, 1895, portions of matawan township, based on results of referendum held day. matawan expanded portions of matawan township in 1931 , 1933.

in response demand, post office established @ mount pleasant in 1889. name in use elsewhere, new name needed. freneau chosen, in honor of philip morin freneau, poet of revolution, , former mount pleasant resident buried in area. post office has since been closed.

cliffwood beach, formed in 1920s, resort community until after world war ii when year-round homes norm. river gardens developed in late 1940s. strathmore developed in 1960s, adding suburban development community , doubling township s population.

aberdeen township

on november 8, 1977, residents of matawan township voted change name of township create community identity separate of matawan borough. residents voted call community aberdeen township. officials believed new name draw attention township, listed first alphabetically among new jersey s municipalities.

today, aberdeen suburban township of 5.4 square miles (14 km) containing mix of residential, light industry , shopping centers. sections of township include cliffwood, cliffwood beach, freneau, oakshades, river gardens, strathmore, santa fe junction , woodfield. population approximately 17,000. 3 postal zip codes serve township: 07721, 07735, , 07747.

the township served 2 volunteer fire companies, aberdeen township hose , chemical co. no. 1, organized in 1918, , cliffwood volunteer fire co., organized in 1927. 2 volunteer first aid squads response community s emergency medical needs; aberdeen township first aid , rescue squad, organized in 1954, , south aberdeen emergency medical service, organized in 1970. full-time police department established in 1935.

the henry hudson trail 9-mile (14 km) paved trail built on former central railroad of new jersey right-of-way , extending aberdeen township east atlantic highlands.