Famous Monmouth Dates
June 28, 1778—the historic date of the Battle of Monmouth—isn’t the only date renowned in the annals of our Shore-blessed county. Here are a few more:
1683Along with Essex, Bergen and Middlesex, Monmouth is one of the first four counties founded in the colony of New Jersey. 1693October 31: The county is partitioned into the townships of Freehold, Middletown and Shrewsbury. 1881September 6: Residents of seaside Elberon bring sandwiches and lanterns to aid workmen laboring through the night to build a special railroad spur on which gunshot victim President James A. Garfield will be conveyed the next day to a seaside cottage in the hope that healthful ocean breezes may enable him to survive his wound. (They don’t.) 1934September 8: The cruise ship S.S. Moro Castle catches fire and beaches itself right near Asbury Park’s Convention Hall. (Soon the resourceful city turns the wreck into a tourist attraction.) 1974February 8: A rock ‘n’ roll club called The Stone Pony opens in Asbury Park. It will become one of the world’s most famous venues, helping to launch the music careers of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Patti Scialfa and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. 2012October 29: Superstorm Sandy strikes the Jersey Shore, damaging thousands of homes and leaving many Monmouthites without power for days. But the county’s residents rise to the challenge of recovery and rebuilding. |
