2005-02 - TOHM Newsletter

Township of Ocean Historical Museum

163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755

(732) 531-2136

New Newsletter Name February 8, 2005 Volume 20, No. 1

Calendar Tuesday February 22 7:30 PM Saturday, April 30 Tuesday, May 24 7:15PM

Summer 2005 Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 2,3, & 4

ANNUAL MEETING - Auditorium, Old Oakhurst School Election of Officers and Trustees; Bylaw changes Spring Tea and Gift Basket Auction -Recreation Center West Park Ave. Helen Chantal Pike, award winning author will speak about her new book Asbury Park’s Glory Days that chronicles the city between 1890 and 1980 – Auditorium, Old Oakhurst School.

Possible Sunset Cruise Old Oakhurst School - Annual Exhibit

ELECTION OF OFFICERS Nominations are: President

Virginia Richmond

Vice President

Tobi Kochel

Recording Secretary

Helen Litts

Corresponding Secretary

Maryann Farry

Treasurer

Joan Berzansky

Museum Director

Eileen McCormack

Trustees (6 yr. term)

Marge Edelson Kathi Brady

DUES Our recent dues notice encouraged many of our members to promptly send in their 2005 dues.

PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE NOT YET PAID YOUR DUES, DO SO TODAY AND SAVE YOUR MUSEUM THE POSTAGE FOR A SECOND NOTICE. Dues are: Individual/Household Supporter Patron Benefactor Silver Gold Platinum

$10.00 $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $250.00 $500.00 $1000.00

Check our website, www.oceanmuseum.org for a current list of Benefactors & our 1 st Silver Member.

Thank you to Super Foodtown for becoming our first Community Partner!

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS CHANGE Constitution—Article V, Section 4, paragraph 2.

This now reads as follows: In the event of a vacancy in the office of Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Trustee, or Museum Director, the vacancy shall be filled by a vote of the general membership for the unexpired term of office.

Proposal: When a vacancy occurs in any office except President, the President in consultation with the other officers shall appoint an individual to fill the unexpired term.

By-Laws—Article III Duties of Elected Officers Add to Section 8. Executive Board’s responsibilities.

The Board is authorized to conduct the business of the Museum . (note: This has always been the responsibility of the Board. It is simply being clarified.)

CONTEST “Name the Newsletter“ We are having a contest to name the newsletter. The prize for the contest winner is a $100 gift certificate to Super Foodtown in Oakhurst, Wanamassa or several other Foodtown stores. This gift certificate was donated by Food Circus Supermarkets Inc. To enter the contest: submit your suggestion for a new name for this newsletter on an 8 1/2” x 11” sheet of paper.

Be sure to submit your name, address and telephone number on the same sheet of paper. Send the contest entry to the Museum at 163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755 The winner will be determined by a committee of three members appointed by the President. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2005.

$100,000 GRANT

Pictured here is Senator Joseph A. Palaia who was honored at our 20 th Anniversary Dinner this past September.

At the dinner, the Senator announced that a second State grant of $100,000 would be coming to the Museum for restoration of the Woolley House. The wonderful news is that the money has arrived. Many thanks to Senator Joe.

2004 ANNUAL EXHIBIT A Huge Success “The Sixties, a Decade of Change”—The weather cooperated this year and the exhibit was a big success.

Excellent newspaper coverage from the Coaster, Asbury Park Press and the Atlanticville helped a great deal to bring the word to the public. Raffle sales again topped all other years with total sales of 4,127 tickets at $1.00 a chance.

We thank Jim and Felicia Serano for sponsoring our tickets as they have for the past few years.

Total net profit from the exhibit was $5,773. The success of this exhibit was due to many of our dedicated members. The Exhibit Committee under the direction of Peggy Dellinger did a superb job of portraying the sixties in the nation and in our town.

Members of our quilters group under the direction of Marge Edelson produced a one-of-a-kind quilt for our raffle along with all kinds of craft items. This group’s efforts brought in more than $1,000 in addition to our raffle ticket sales. We also appreciate the efforts of our many volunteers who went out to all the many grocery stores in the area every weekend in September and October and sold raffle tickets.

We sincerely thank all of the local stores for being so cooperative with these volunteers. Last but not least our thanks goes to all those who donated baked goodies for our sales.

Our members and guests were entertained once again at our Friday evening exhibit opening with the talented forensic students from the Ocean Township Intermediate School and their coach, Mrs. Trudy Wolfe-Larkin.

This year Mr. Larry Iverson and his volunteer staff from the Ocean 77 TV Channel videotaped our program as it was presented. The video has been shown several times on our Township’s Channel 77.

THIRD GRADE CLASSES All of the 16 third grade classes in Ocean Township have now taken their historic tour of the township and have visited our Museum. The program at the Museum is designed to introduce these young students to school and life as it was approximately 100 years ago. A second part of the presentation helps them understand historic sections and buildings in the various neighborhoods in Ocean Township. Most of the students under the guidance of their teachers write thank you notes to the ladies of our museum who volunteer their time for these Tuesday and Thursday morning visits. Mrs. Edelson has conducted all of the bus tours. We thought it would be interesting to share one of these rather interesting notes with our members. We left all spelling exactly as the student wrote it. We treasure all of the many notes from our 3 rd grade students.

Dec 15, 2004 Dear Mrs. Edelson, Thank you for taking your time to be the tour guide on our bus tour. It was so cool I dropped to the floor!! Not literuly. I learned a lot and I never knew that Ocean Township was that big. Our town is the best!!! I really liked seeing the Drumoned graveyard. Seeing it was my favorite part. I get my water from Keptwell Spring water. I had no idea there was a Indian Spring there. I am looking forward to seeing you at the museum. I never knew you were Mrs. Forgash’s teacher when she was in fourth grade. I learned a lot about the Indians and where they lived and how they lived. The History of Ocean Township is very interesting. It was a great experience.

Sincerely, Tyler Harlow

WOOLLEY HOUSE Feasibility Study The Woolley house is being readied for its move easterly through the woods on Deal Road. A new foundation has been constructed for the old homestead. This old farmhouse will eventually become Ocean Township’s new museum but it needs complete restoration before it can be opened to the public. The Museum has hired Glenwood Associates of Princeton to do a feasibility study to see if we can raise the necessary funds for this restoration. Once the study is complete, plans are to begin a capital fundraising campaign. We will keep you informed.

IN MEMORIAM John Richard Kurkjian Wedell M. Palaia John Thomas Hartigan Sr.

SPRING TEA April 30. 2005 It’s time to get ready for the Spring Tea. That’s right— Saturday, April 30. Seating is from 1:45 pm, serving from 2 pm, ending at 4 pm at the West Park Ave. Recreation Center in Oakhurst.

This year we’ll be having a gift auction, a hat contest, hand-crafted items, and delicious sandwiches, desserts, scones and TEA. Gift auction drawing and hat contest winners will be at 3:45 pm.

We’ve purchased three-tier racks and Marge Edelson has made new tablecloths. We need to borrow card tables and tea sets. Baker, sandwich makers waiters and waitresses are needed. Most of the baking can be done ahead of time and frozen. Recipes will be provided. Sandwich making will be on Friday, April 29 at Lesley Dorsett’s home. Sign up at the February meeting or call Lesley Dorsett, Tea CoChair at 732-229-0510 to volunteer items or your services.

Tickets go on sale on March 1 - $15.00 each. Call Katy Dorsett , Tea Co-Chair at 732-222-5289 to purchase tickets.

GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING The Museum’s Woolley House Fund is growing. This past month, donations from three separate funerals were directed to our Museum. Our condolences go out to these families. We thank them sincerely for remembering the Museum during such difficult times. We appreciate the generosity of the many donors who sent memorial checks to the Museum. All funds received will be used for the Woolley House Project.

This fund might well be the answer for someone you would like to remember for a birthday, an anniversary, a retirement, birth of a grandchild, a memorial etc. When you don’t know what to send or how to appropriately recognize an event, consider a donation to the Museum’s Woolley fund.

For donations to the tax deductible fund a card will be sent to the honoree or family, acknowledging the gift in their name from you. Donations should be sent to the Museum, 163 Monmouth Rd., Oakhurst, NJ 07755. For more information, call the Museum, 732-531-2136.

Also, remember our “Buy a Brick” Campaign. This is another great way to honor or memorialize your family members or friends and at the same time to become a part of our local history. Any name or names of your choice will be permanently inscribed on 4” x 8” bricks to be installed on a walkway at the new site of the Eden Woolley House.

Bricks are $100.00 each and tax deductible. Call the Museum for a brick form.

NEW NEWSLETTER FEATURE Beginning with this newsletter, a short article on Ocean Township’s history will appear.

First Business Ventures in the Settlement later known as Ocean Township.

Delectable delicacies with tea all ready for your enjoyment

SPRING TEA GIFT AUCTION Attention all members. Here’s an opportunity to help your Museum in a novel way. We are now looking for new items for a gift auction to be held at the spring tea. Do you have items that you can’t use but are new?

The committee will be putting together theme baskets such as: gourmet foods, beauty and bath, tea for two, home decorations, fragrances for the home, holiday/seasonal entertaining, eating out, wines and pastas, baby items etc.

Bring items to the Museum on Tuesday afternoons from 14 pm or call Lesley Dorsett at 732-229-0510.

Thank you.

As the settlement began to develop, there was a need for local commercial services. The first two of these were to be a saw mill and a grist mill.

The saw mill was built on a mill pond along the Hog Swamp Creek by the Drummonds. Although no records of its operation or appearance exist, it is referred to on early maps and in wills. It was located on the present site of the Hollywood Golf Club, near Roseld Ave. and Wickapecko Drive.

The grist mill stood on the south side of the Whalepond Brook near the present Monmouth Road in Oakhurst. The Museum has placed a sign near the spot. The land was purchased under the Monmouth Patent by William Reape in 1665. It was willed to William Brinley in 1715 by his grandmother, Sarah Reape. The mill was probably built in the 1700’s by John Brinley, son of William. In his will dated 1745, John is called a “miller” and he is listed as the owner of a grist mill and a saw mill. The saw mill in Brinley’s will was probably one built on another mill pond of the Whalepond Brook. The pond was located on the west side of the present Route 35. This mill is later referred to as Maps’ Mill and the pond is called Maps’ Pond.

(from An Historic Perspective of the Township of Ocean , Edelson, Zimmerer, 1974.)