Ocean County , NJ History

Grand Jury Indictments, Sep 30 1936 All of these indictments were handed down by the grand jury in late September 1936: Kenneth Martingale(sic), of New York, for involuntary homicide, by automobile, of William Chase in Bass River township on June 27th. Martindale's car struck Chase and the latter died from his injuries. Arthur Rachor is charged with embezzlement of $1,500 from the State of New Jersey while he was employed at Four Mile Colony. Stacy Wilkins, Evesham, seduction under promise to marry Doris Day, under 21 years of age. Otto Dush, Florence, uttering(sic) worthless ceck(sic) for $200 to Alexander Dasakl. William Gross, Moorestown, assault and battery on Lulu Gross; also desertion and neglect. Harry W. Gifford, Pemberton township, assault and battery on Thomas F. Duff. William Wheeler, Florence, assault and battery on May Wheeler. Earl Schwed, Burlington, malicious mischief, consisting of throwing eggs at gas pump and building of Clarence Curlis.

New Jersey Courier 7 Feb 1872: An interesting and lively game of baseball was played at Bass River on Saturday, 13th ult., between the Buck Tails of Bass River, and the Liberties of Bass River Neck, the former proving champions by a score of 23 to 15. The Buck Tails are now champions along the shore.

9 DEC 1869 - New Jersey Mirror: James Reynolds, of Bass River, committed suicide, on Sunday, the 29th ult.(November, 1868). He was in the last stage of consumption, and so weak that he was confined to his bed--but he gathered strength enough to leave it and grasp a razor, lying on a stand a few feet away. Staggering back to the bed, he deliberately drew the razor across the left side of his throat, severing the main artery, and causing death in a short time. The deceased was a laboring man, about 37 years old. No one but his mother was in the house at the time of his death.

New Jersey Mirror 25 Nov 1841: Died-Near Bass River Hotel on November 13, 1841, Charles Adams, aged 71 years.

This is not the famed Allentown of Pennsylvania, nor the town in Monmouth County so well known in this part of the state. It is a far lesser known town, a section of Bass River Township. The following description of the town appeared in the Bass River Gazzette in Oct 1998 and is here reprinted with the author's permission: "Allentown begins about a mile north of Route 9 on North Maple Avenue (previously called Allentown Road) and runs to the old Bass River Hotel. It was originally settled by Robert Allen, and for many years his descendants inhabited most of the homes in this area" To date, this is the only mention I've ever come across of this place.

5 Oct 1876 -New Jersey Courier: "Bass River has changed very little, during the last decade; yet increased attention to agriculture is manifest on every hand. Pretty farms, neat residences, and school houses that will compare favorably with localities much more pretentious, give evidence that the population is at once intelligent and industrious. The school house, associated with which are so many tender memories of lessons conned, and extreme elementary ideas worked in by the aid of old fashioned licking stimulators, seemed as of old, though, wearing a more modern appearance and a more euphoneous name thatn "Frogtown Schoolhouse." Miss Eva Robinson, a lady of desirable properties, is the present teacher, and I understand is doing a good work educationally. "Mr. Mark Adams has charge of the New Gretna school. Of course, we can say nothing about what he will accomplish until he has been at work for some time, but we know that his intelligence is sufficient to bring

New Jersey Mirror 31 Aug 1843: On August 7, 1843, at Bass River, Burlington County, NJ, by Rev. W. Hanley, Mr. Nathan Moore of Philadelphia to Miss Elvira Eliza Allen, daughter of William Allen of Bass River.

New Jersey Courier 21 Aug 1851 We learned on Saturday, that Stephen Adams, of Bass River, in this county, and one of the Freeholders of Washington township, died about four weeks since. He had a lump on the side of his neck, which was constantly increasing in size, and desiring to have it removed, went to Philadelphia, and consulted a physician, who, after examination, concluded to cut it out. The operation was performed, and a few days after, Mr. Adams started for home. On his way, a heavy storm came up, which gave him a severe cold, and he died in a week or two.

29 Jun 1870 -New Jersey Courier: Captain Thomas French, of this place, is putting up a mammoth barn, and has put in a cranberry bog of about six acres, which is looking finely. He is also preparing ground for another bog. Mr. Joseph B. Cranmer is turfing and preparing for a cranberry bog on the river front of his farm.

Another Adams who owned a hotel is mentioned in Bass River Township in the New Jersey Courier of December 30th, 1868. It describes him thusly: "Frank Adams keeps a small but comfortable hotel, dispenses whiskey, Ayer's medicines, post office, and sausage meat with a liberal hand, and keep a nice little home for strangers.". UPDATE: Thanks to Wynn for this new bit of information: Franklin Adam's uncle was the original owner of " The old Bass River Hotel". His name was Isaiah Adams, son of David and Hope (Rockhill) Adams. He Married Mary Ann Mathis, daughter of Daniel Mathis. Franklin's parents were Moses and Charlotte (Myers) Adams. Moses and Isaiah are the children of David Adams and Hope Rockhill. David is the son of Charles Adams and Hannah Jenkins. Charles is the son of Hezekiah Adams. Franklin's children are: Charles E., Jesse, Henry, Irick. This information came from the History of Little Egg Harbor Township and the Leek Family Bible. Thi

23 Mar 1876 -New Jersey Courier: Bass River beats the world on rats. A mother and daughter killed thirty-seven one day last week, the largest of which weighed six pounds and three quarter.

New Jersey Mirror: Mar 14 1827 Marriage -At Bass River, on Thursday evening, March 1, 1827, by George W. Tucker, Esq., Mr. Stacy Mathis, merchant, to Miss Julia S. Cramer, daughter of Caleb Cramer, Esq., all of Burlington County

from E.M. Woodward's 1883 book: Bass River is located in the southeastern portion of the township, and is a small and somewhat scattered hamlet. It contains one Methodist and one Presbyterian Church, one hotel, one wheelwright shop, one blacksmith shop, post office, four stores, and a few scattered dwellings.. The hotel was erected in 1851, by Thomas French , who carried on the business for a short time, and was succeeded by Franklin Adams, who purchased the property in 1856, and has carried on the business since. Among the early merchants of New Gretna was John Miller, who carried on the business as early as 1812 for a period of years. He was succeeded by William Allen, who carried on the business for a period of twenty-five years. Since that time there has been a succession of merchants in New Gretna. The present merchant is Francis French. Adolphus H. Lansing erected a wheelwright-shop in 1856, and did quite an extensive business in the manufacture of heavy wagons, which

Early Bass River consisted mainly of large farms owned by the Mathis, Cranmer, and Allen families. There was no town as we know it today. The first area to be called Bass River was the present Pilgrim Lake Campground-Fir Bridge area. A sawmill and the old Bass River Hotel were built here before the Revolutionary War. The hotel housed a post office, tavern, and stagecoach stop on the much traveled stage road from Tuckerton to Philadelphia and was an important landmark in the area for many years. It closed in 1855 as a result of the town center shifting two miles down Allentown Road, now North Maple Avenue, to New Gretna. [above passage quoted with author Pete Stemmer's permission from the Bass River Gazette, October 1998}]

This is not the famed Allentown of Pennsylvania, nor the town in Monmouth County so well known in this part of the state. It is a far lesser known town, a section of Bass River Township. The following description of the town appeared in the Bass River Gazette in Oct 1998 and is here reprinted with the author's permission: "Allentown begins about a mile north of Route 9 on North Maple Avenue (previously called Allentown Road) and runs to the old Bass River Hotel. It was originally settled by Robert Allen, and for many years his descendants inhabited most of the homes in this area"

in May of 1936, a tremendous forest fire swept through the Pine Barrens of Ocean County. This is how it was reported in the pages of the New Jersey Mirror on the 27th of May Five Killed, Many Injured in Greatest Forest Fires in the History of Two Counties / More Than 20,000 Acres Involved in Four-Day Conflagration in the Area from Chatsworth to Tuckerton and Manahawkin--2,000 Men Fought Fire / Men Were Trapped While Fighting In one of the worst forest fires in the history of Burlington and Ocean counties, the past four days, burning over more than 20,000 acres, five men lost their lives and many others were injured. The area involved includes the section from Chatsworth to Tuckerton. There also were fires east of Brown's Mills. Colonel Leonidas J. Coyle, state fire warden, reported last night that the fire was under control and practically extinguished, when a change of wind turned the flames back over the area already burned over. The dead are: Edward F. Sullivan, 19, of