The History of the Jersey Shore surrounding Shark River, from Brielle to Asbury Park, originally published as a regular feature in "The Herald" Wall, N.J. between 1990 and 1992.

A LITTLE QUIZ FOR YOU TODAY!

By Mildred Colyard

     The picture enclosed is from a          Bordering on the southern end of
 small town along the shore.  Can         this attractive mystery borough is
 you guess the name of this town?         a river.  It too was much longer at
 How about some more information to       one time, but the name has been the
 help you - a little history of the       same for 300 years.   A will dated
 town?                                    January 1698 refers to land "at the
                                          head of Shark River in Squankum.".
    The town was originally part of       That should give the name away!
 the Township of Neptune.  It was
 situated in the southeast corner of         The original site of this town
 that township and was known as "Key      was comprehended in a tract of 265
 East".  It was bordered on the           acres of land patented to Gavin
 north by "Duck Creek".  This name,       Drummond in November of 1701.  It
 "Duck Creek", does not apply today       passed through several owners, re-
 because it is no longer a creek and      maining as one tract of land until
 there is no longer access to the         1851, when the tract's owner, at
 ocean from this body of water.           that time, John Fields died.  The
    Below is an extract from a New        land was then divided into 15 to 20
 York Weekly, dated from 1778.            parcels and sold to different
                                          people.
    Last week a rebel schooner was        At About 1880, after many changes
 taken in Duck Creek and brought up       in ownership, the entire, original
 to the city.  The number of the          tract of land came into the posses-
 crew, now prisoners, are about 20,       sion of Edward Batchelor.  By 1883,
 amongst whom are two pilots Henry        lots of 50 by 100 feet were laid
 Tudor and James Bruce.  It is said       out, and the grading of streets 80
 she was taken by a party of the          feet wide began.
 crew belonging to the "Diamond".
                                             Have you guessed the name of
                 New York Gazette         this town by now?   The picture of
                 and Weekly Mercury       the pharmacy and old auto, does it
                 April 8, 1778            look familiar?   You can probably
                                          even guess the date of this picture
    We must remember at the time of       by the date of the parked car.  The
 the Revolution, when this schooner       store fronts, as you can see, have
 was captured and taken to New York       not changed much through the years.
 by the British, New York was then        The houses seem to remain the same
 in the hands of the British.  We         also.  Did you guess Avon?   You
 must also remember that Duck Creek       should have, it was easy!
 was larger, longer and deeper than
 the present body of water.  It ex-           There are many more interesting
 tended two or three miles into what      stories about the Jersey Shore.
 was then Shrewsbury Township, and        How about telling us your?  Send
 accommodated fairly large cargo          email to: milc@cybercomm.net
 ships.