Ocean County , NJ History

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"

It's not entirely clear exactly when people began living in this place in Galloway township; in 1716 it is known that the “King’s Highway” was built over an Indian trail that had existed for many years before. This road is now known as Shore Road. It was probably still not a settlement here though, but just a road passing through the area. Then, in 1769 on a map Entitled “The Province of New Jersey Divided Into East and West, commonly called The Jerseys” (Published Dec. 1, 1778, Drawn from the survey made in 1769 and subsequent military surveys made by British troops), Gloucester County is depicted extending from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean. Absecum Beach is shown between Brigantine Beach to the north and the Great Egg Harbour River to the south. The only roadway shown in an area now called Atlantic County is a roadway now called Shore Road ( the aforementioned Kings Highway ). The road runs from the Great Egg Harbour River to the Mullica River through the village of “...