Editing Stafford Township, New Jersey (section)

==History==
[[File:Manahawkin Baptist Church.jpg|thumb|285px|The [[Manahawkin Baptist Church]], built in 1864]]Stafford Township was formed by [[royal charter]] on March 3, 1750, from portions of [[Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey|Shrewsbury Township]], while the area was still part of [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]]. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by the [[Township Act of 1798]] of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] on February 21, 1798, and became part of the newly formed Ocean County on February 15, 1850. Portions of the township were taken to form [[Union Township, Ocean County, New Jersey|Union Township]] (March 10, 1846, now [[Barnegat Township, New Jersey|Barnegat Township]]), [[Eagleswood Township, New Jersey|Eagleswood Township]] (March 17, 1874), Long Beach City Borough (September 19, 1894, now [[Surf City, New Jersey|Surf City]]) and [[Long Beach Township, New Jersey|Long Beach Township]] (March 23, 1899).<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. 205. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> The township was named after [[Staffordshire]], England.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=30 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''], New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 9, 2015.</ref>

Historically, Stafford Township was a rural area, with the notable exception of the downtown hub of Manahawkin. Significant growth began in the 1950s with the development of resort communities like [[Beach Haven West]] and [[Ocean Acres, New Jersey|Ocean Acres]]. These developments coincided with the completion of the [[Garden State Parkway]] and the expansion of [[New Jersey State Route 72|Route 72]], which formerly ran along the two-lane Bay Avenue.

While growing quickly, development was still sparse. Route 72 was still mostly wooded, aside from several car dealerships, gas stations, a drive-in movie theater, and the Manahawkin Executive Airport. The pace of development increased during the 1980s with new residential projects, including the expansion of Beach Haven West and Ocean Acres, transforming the area from seasonal vacation homes to year-round residences. This period also saw the establishment of Stafford Square, the township's first major shopping center. The Manahawkin Airport closed in the early 1990s to make way for commercial developments, including a [[Walmart]] and [[PathMark|Pathmark]].<ref>Key, Peter. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AC&p_theme=ac&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAEA8E716D90FC6&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Wal-Mart Store To Open In Area / Stafford Site Set For 1992"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', March 19, 1991. Accessed July 8, 2012. "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced plans to open a Wal-Mart store in a shopping center being developed on the Manahawkin Airport by National Property Development Inc. of Purchase, N.Y."</ref> However, part of the runway was left intact until the 2000s, when the St. Mary's of the Pines Catholic Church and All Saints Regional Catholic School were built on the land.<ref>Larsen, Erik. [https://archive.today/20130201012847/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/app/access/1845835231.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+11,+2000&author=ERIK+LARSEN&pub=Asbury+Park+Press&desc=Keeping+the+faith+Diocese+confident+regional+school+will+be+built&pqatl=google "Keeping the faith Diocese confident regional school will be built"], ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', March 11, 2000. Accessed July 8, 2012. "Last December, All Saints broke ground on about 20 acres beside Wal-Mart, which was once the site of the now-defunct Manahawkin Airport."</ref>

Stafford Township celebrates its history and community spirit through an annual Founders Day event held each June. Originating in 1964 as part of New Jersey’s 300th anniversary celebrations, Founders Day has grown into a vibrant tradition featuring a hometown parade, pie-eating contests, inflatable rides, the Miss Stafford, Jr. Miss Stafford, Little Miss Stafford, and Little Town Crier pageants, and concludes with a fireworks display.<ref>[https://www.thesandpaper.net/articles/founders-day-calls-upon-seuss-with-forward-looking-oh-the-places-youll-go-stafford/ "Founders Day Calls Upon Seuss With Forward-Looking ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Stafford!’"], The SandPaper, June 1, 2022 Accessed June 9, 2022. "According to Stafford Township Recreation Director Jason Hazelton, Founders Day started in 1964 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of New Jersey and has evolved into a multifaceted celebration that has taken place on the second Saturday in June for the past 30 years, omitting the pandemic years."</ref>

In July 2021, the township buried a 50-year [[time capsule]], which will be opened in 2070. Stafford Township officials included various items, and residents submitted memorabilia from 2020 to give future residents a glimpse of life in Stafford Township during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Riccardi, Alyssa. [https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/southern-ocean/stafford-captures-the-history-of-2020-with-time-capsule/ "Stafford Captures The History Of 2020 With Time Capsule"], Jersey Shore Online, February 3, 2021. Accessed June 9, 2022. "The time capsule is a 130-pound solid steel treasure chest that was built by Kurt Brownell of the Stafford Township Department of Public Works. Mayor Myhre explained how Brownell used scrap metal to create this one-of-a-kind time capsule. On December 31, 2020, Myhre and Williams made an initial deposit into the capsule. Inside, they put in: 2020 census bags; the ''Press of Atlantic City'', 2020 in review paper; National Geographic photos of 2020; letters from the mayor and council; township calendars; Signs hung around the township in 2020 (for example wash your hands, wear masks, stop the spread of germs); masks and a current map of Stafford Township."</ref>