Editing Matawan, New Jersey (section)

==History==
[[File:Major John Burrowes Mansion (EXTERIOR - EAST AND NORTH ELEVATIONS).jpg|thumb|left|[[Maj. John Burrowes Mansion]] on [[New Jersey Route 79|Main Street]]]]
The [[Lenape]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] called the area "{{lang|unm|Mechananienk}}", which gave rise to the area being called "Matovancons" by Dutch settlers, from which derives the name "Matawan". The name may derive from a [[Lenape language]] word meaning "where two rivers come together"<ref>Chang, Kathy; and Kesten, Karen L. [https://www1.gmnews.com/2010/01/07/birth-of-a-town-5/ "Birth of a town"], ''The Hub'', January 7, 2010. Accessed June 5, 2017. "Matawan means where 'two rivers come together' in Lenape. Its Native American name was 'Mechananienk.' The Dutch settlers and Indian tribe name on a 1656 map was 'Matovancons.'"</ref><ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=20 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''], New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed July 20, 2015. "'Where two rivers come together' (Tr, Ru) or ''mechavwanienk'', 'ancient path' (B)"</ref> or it may originate from the [[Unami language|Southern Unami]] ''{{lang|unm|Matawonge}}'', "bad riverbank" or "bad hill", a possible reference to bluffs along Raritan Bay which were subject to erosion and collapse prior to the construction of a [[seawall]] in the 1970s. Another possible source is ''{{lang|unm|Matawan}}'', Northern Unami for "bad fog", which may have referred to [[fog]] generated on Raritan Bay.<ref>Grumet, Robert S. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PIwjQeh-Ke4C&pg=PA84 ''Manhattan to Minisink: American Indian Place Names in Greater New York and Vicinity''], p. 84. [[University of Oklahoma Press]], Norman, OK, 2013. {{ISBN|9780806189130}}. Accessed July 20, 2015.</ref> Other possible meanings are "magician", "charmed skin" or "it arrives in a lake".<ref>[[Henry Gannett|Gannett, Henry]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA19 ''The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States''], p. 19. [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1905. Accessed September 4, 2015.</ref>

The community was established by [[Dutch people|Dutch]] settlers in the 17th century (Matawan celebrated a tricentennial in the 1980s). In 1686, [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]] settlers from [[New Hampshire]] later named the town New Aberdeen, and later Mount Pleasant. The town consisted with a church and a few houses around where southern Main Street and Freneau Avenue are. Neighboring Matawan Township reused the historic name in the 1970s when it changed its name to Aberdeen Township. As docks were built along [[Matawan Creek]], which led to the area being called Middletown Point, which helped increase trade and commerce in the town. By the mid 18th century, the town became the main point of water-bound export and entry for Monmouth County. Over the course of the 18th century, the main center of the town moved north toward where it is today on Main Street. Some of Monmouth County's wealthiest merchants and tradesmen made their homes along Main Street during this time, many of which remain today.

On May 27, 1778, the Burrowes Mansion, which was built in 1723 and located on Main Street, and sold to wealthy grain merchant John "Corn King" Burrowes Sr. in 1769, was the site of a skirmish between the [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]] and the [[British Empire|British]] during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. The mansion is the site where the first [[New Jersey militia|New Jersey Company]] of the [[Continental Army]] formed, as John Burrowes Jr. trained local militia in his front yard. Local Patriots used [[whaleboat]]s stored in Lake Matawan to attack British ships in the Raritan Bay. In response, British General [[Cortlandt Skinner]], leading his [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] "Skinner's Greens", attacked Matawan with the (successful) intention of burning down the warehouses and mills owned by Burrowes and to capture Burrowes Jr. 200 Greens made their way from Sandy Hook, and greatly outnumbered the Matawan Patriots. Burrowes Jr. was able to avoid capture by swimming across Matawan Creek and hide, however Burrowes Sr. and several other Patriots were captured.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orr |first=Barry |date=2022-05-23 |title=May 27, 1778: The Raid on the Burrowes Mansion |url=https://matawanhistoricalsociety.org/may-27-1778-the-raid-on-the-burrowes-mansion/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Matawan Historical Society |language=en-US}}</ref> Nearby, a house on Ravine Drive was owned by Samuel Forman, a wealthy merchant and [[Continental Army]] colonel and business partner with John Burrowes Sr. Forman had three sons, all of which became officers in the Continental Army, with the oldest Johnathan becoming a general. Of his four daughters, two married prominent local men, with Margaret marrying John Burrowes Jr. (where she was attacked by the loyalists during the skirmish at the Burrowes Mansion) and Eleanor marrying [[Philip Freneau]], who was known as the "Poet of the Revolution". On May 23, 1779, there was another skirmish between the American militia and British troops near the Forman house, and the militia successfully forced the British to retreat down a hill and swim across the Matawan Creek into the Raritan Bay. The house became nicknamed the "Old Hospital" because many wounded soldiers were cared for in the house.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orr |first=Barry |date=2021-07-28 |title=The Old Hospital |url=https://matawanhistoricalsociety.org/the-old-hospital/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Matawan Historical Society |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1795, [[Philip Freneau]] established Monmouth County's first newspaper, the Jersey Chronicle. In the 1830s, with the invention of the [[steamboat]], Matawan grew and prospered, as it allowed for goods to be more accessible to the New York regional market.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |date=December 21, 2000 |title=History of Matawan |url=https://www.matawanborough.com/matawan/Our%20COMMUNITY/History%20of%20Matawan/ |website=Matawan Borough |publisher=Asbury Park Press}}</ref>

Between 1820 and 1870, property owners began subdividing their land, which led to a building boom with various new streets and homes opening up surrounding Main Street. Midway Alley, now Jackson Street, was opened in 1821 from Ravine Drive to Church Street.&nbsp; In 1833, Wycoff and Spring Streets were opened. In the 1840s Washington, Monroe, Franklin, Part of Jackson, Little, North, South, and Mill Streets were opened along with Rabbit Lane and Steamboat Alley. Broad Street, which used to be known as Second Street, was opened between Church and South Streets as well as a short piece off Little Street. By 1852 it was extended from Little to South Street and had been renamed Broad Street.&nbsp; The 1850s also saw the opening of Orchard, Center, Stillwell (then Division) and High Streets and Park Ave (then New St.) In the 1860s Clinton and Atlantic Streets were opened, as well as Hoyt Street and Johnson Avenue.<ref name=":1" /> Between 1830 and 1860, lumber mills, shipping warehouses, brickyards, and a ceramic industry which focused on pottery, stoneware, and tile were established.<ref name=":2" /> In 1865, due to postal confusion with Middletown, the Middletown Point post office was renamed "Matawan", to reflect the name of the Township.<ref name="Story" /> In 1869, David Bell began publishing the weekly Matawan Journal newspaper.<ref name=":1" /> Matawan's current character on Main Street formed during the late 19th century as schools, banks, stores, churches, and dwellings were formed on and around Main Street. The [[Aberdeen–Matawan station|Matawan Train Station]] (later renamed Aberdeen-Matawan when the new station building was built on the Aberdeen side) was established in 1875, which helped sustain the town's prominence as a transportation center as Matawan Creek began silting, which led to a decline in ship commerce.<ref name=":2" />

In 1857, the town of Middletown Point was renamed to [[Aberdeen Township, New Jersey|Matavan Township]] after it was officially incorporated, being carved from [[Raritan Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Raritan Township]], and was named after Matawan Creek.<ref name=":2">[http://matawanhistoricalsociety.org/history/ History], Matawan Historical Society. Accessed June 1, 2020.</ref> In 1882, Matavan was renamed Matawan. In 1883, a referendum to establish Matawan as a [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] failed 93–79. In 1885, a referendum was held again, passing 144–133, although this was followed by years of opposition to the change. Matawan Borough was formed on June 28, 1895, from portions of Matawan Township (now [[Aberdeen Township, New Jersey|Aberdeen Township]]), based on the results of a referendum held that day. Matawan expanded with portions of Matawan Township in 1931 and 1933, and from Madison Township (now [[Old Bridge Township, New Jersey|Old Bridge Township]]) in 1939.<ref name="Story">Snyder, John P. [https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 182. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref>

Despite being {{convert|11|mi}} from the [[Atlantic Ocean]], Matawan was the site of three shark attacks on July 12, 1916, in [[Matawan Creek]], causing two deaths. They closely followed an attack in [[Beach Haven, New Jersey|Beach Haven]] on July 1 and one in [[Spring Lake, New Jersey|Spring Lake]] on July 6 that were all part of the [[Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916]]. Today, there is a shark [[mural]] located in Matawan Creek visible off High Street.<ref>[http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Shark-Attacks-That-Were-the-Inspiration-for-Jaws-165313716.html "The Shark Attacks That Were the Inspiration for Jaws; One rogue shark. Five victims. A mysterious threat. And the era of the killer great white was born"], ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'', August 7, 2012. Accessed October 17, 2013. "The rogue great white traveled 30 miles north of Spring Lake and into Matawan Creek. On July 12, Lester Stillwell, 11, was playing in the creek 16 miles inland when the shark attacked. A young man named Watson Stanley Fisher attempted to save the boy, but was fatally injured in the process."</ref>

In 1894, an eight-room brick school building was built on the corner of Broad Street and South Street.<ref name=":3">Federal Writers' Projects: Matawan, 1686–1936, pp 70-71.</ref> In 1901, the most disastrous fire in Matawan history destroyed six buildings in the most major part of the business district.<ref name=":1" /> In 1923, Lake Matawan was created by damming [[Gravelly Brook]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Crosby |first=Alexander L. |date=1936 |title=Matawan 1686-1936 |url=https://www.digifind-it.com/matawan/data/books/Matawan%201686-1936.pdf}}</ref> In 1924, the Matawan High School was built in the same location due to overcrowding concerns at the old school. In 1928, Matawan Creek was dammed to create [[Lake Lefferts]]. Also in 1928, Memorial Park was established to honor [[World War I]] veterans.<ref name=":4" /> In 1929, The Phyllis Wheatley Club, an organization for black women, is formed with 23 members.<ref name=":1" /> In 1930, Henry S. Terhune gifted Terhune Park between Main and Broad Streets.<ref name=":4" /> In 1938, the current [[United States Postal Service|Post Office]] is built on Main Street. In 1954, the Matawan First Aid and Rescue Squad is established.<ref name=":1" /> In 1962, the current [[Matawan Regional High School]] was built on Atlantic Avenue in Matawan Township.<ref name=":3" /> For the previous two centuries, area surrounding Main Street and its immediate vicinity mostly consisted of farmland and woodland, but around the mid 20th century [[Suburbanization|suburban development]] brought suburban divisions and highways into the town.<ref name=":2" /> In 1988, a Ceronics Inc manufacturing plant on Main Street was destroyed by a fire. In July 1988, the 82 year old Dell's Meat Market closed. In August 1988, Rose Hill Cemetery, which held many famous locals dating back to 1802, was restored. In September 1988, Matawan celebrated its 300th anniversary.<ref name=":1" />

Matawan played an important role in aviation navigation history. In 1944, the first operational Visual Aural Range (VAR) was installed at Matawan. Designed in 1937 at the [[Bureau of Air Commerce]]'s research center, this system operated in the VHF band around 63 mHz and was an incremental improvement over prior aviation navigation systems such as the [[four-course radio range]].<ref>Nolan, M.S. (1999). ''Fundamentals of air traffic control''. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks Cole Publishing Company.</ref> VAR was later redeveloped into [[VHF omnidirectional range|VOR]].